Osteomalacia (osteomalacia): symptoms, causes and how to treat it

Definition of osteomalacia

What is osteomalacia?

The definition of osteomalacia or osteomalacia is a disease that causes the bones in the body to become softer and weaker, making them prone to fractures. In fact, the bone structure should be a strong and strong part of the body because it supports the body.

This condition refers to a deficiency in a mineral that is important to bones, which causes them to break down faster than they are repaired.

This musculoskeletal disorder commonly affects young adults, but it can also occur in children. If it occurs in children, this will interfere with their growth. The body can bend over and cause complications of osteomalacia such as rickets (abnormal bone growth in children).

Meanwhile, in adults, osteomalacia can cause bone complications so that it breaks more easily.

How common is this disease?

Osteomalacia is a common disease and can affect anyone. However, young adults and children are known to suffer from this disease more than any other age.

Signs & symptoms of osteomalacia

In its early stages, osteomalacia may not cause symptoms. Even so, signs of the disease are detected through imaging tests with X-rays or other diagnostic tests.

Symptoms will usually begin when the disease progresses to a more advanced stage. The most common symptom of osteomalacia (osteomalacia) is pain in the lower back, hips, legs and ribs.

The pain will get worse at night or when you do activities that put excessive pressure on the affected bone. This pain is sometimes not easily relieved with just rest.

Decreased muscle tone will also weaken your muscles, especially in your legs, causing you to walk unsteadily, be slower, or have trouble walking properly. Muscle tone is the contraction of muscles that are maintained by the muscles themselves.

In addition, other symptoms that may occur in people with osteomalacia (osteomalacia) are:

• There were fractures without injury
• When the calcium levels in the bones are low, there will be numbness around the mouth, arms, or legs as well as muscle spasms and muscle cramps in the hands or feet.

When to see a doctor?

If you experience the symptoms mentioned above, check with your doctor immediately to find out the underlying cause. Whether these symptoms lead to osteomalacia or other health problems.

Causes of osteomalacia

The main cause of osteomalacia disease (osteomalacia) is an incomplete bone maturation process.

Your body uses minerals, such as calcium and phosphate to build strong bones. In people with osteomalacia, the body doesn't get enough minerals from food or the body doesn't absorb these minerals properly, so the process of bone maturation is disrupted.

More specifically, the various causes of osteomalacia (osteomalacia) that may occur are:

Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones. These nutrients can be obtained from foods such as cow's milk, yogurt, or cheese. In addition, you can also get it from exposure to the morning sun directly on the skin.

People who eat less vitamin D and less sun exposure can develop bone problems later in life. Lack of vitamin D is the most common cause of osteomalacia (osteomalacia) worldwide.

Operation

Your digestive system will break down nutrients from food, such as calcium and other minerals so that they can be absorbed by the intestines.

However, this process can be disrupted in people who have recently had surgery on the stomach, such as removing part or all of the stomach and cutting the small intestine. This condition can cause the body to lack calcium, which can cause bone problems.

Use of certain drugs

Using anti-seizure drugs, such as phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek) and phenobarbital in the long term or without a doctor's supervision can cause the body to be deficient in vitamin D. Finally, this condition can cause bone disorders.

Have certain health problems

The occurrence of osteomalacia can also be caused by other health problems, including:

• Have a lactose intolerance disorder, making it difficult to get calcium and vitamin D from dairy products.
• Have cancer in the digestive tract, so that the absorption of food nutrients is disrupted.
• Have Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body to overreact to gluten proteins in food. This overreaction can damage the lining of the small intestine so that it interferes with the absorption of nutrients, one of which is calcium and vitamin D.
• Experiencing disorders of the kidneys or liver, even though both are involved in the process of forming vitamin D in the body.

Risk factors for osteomalacia

The risk of developing osteomalacia (osteomalacia) is highest in people who do not get enough vitamin D from food or sunlight.

Lack of vitamin D intake can happen to anyone, especially those who spend time indoors or have health problems absorbing nutrients.

Diagnosis and treatment of osteomalacia

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

Osteomalacia disease (osteomalacia) can be difficult to diagnose. Therefore, to find out the causes and rule out other spinal problems, such as osteoporosis, the doctor will recommend a series of medical tests, such as:

• Blood and urine tests. This test helps detect low levels of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in the body.
• X-ray imaging test. This medical test can provide a picture of the structural changes or cracks in the bones that are characteristic of osteomalacia.
• Bone biopsy. This test uses general anesthesia (anesthetic), so your doctor can insert a thin needle through the skin and take a small sample of bone. This test is rarely performed due to its low accuracy in diagnosing osteomalacia.

What are the ways to treat osteomalacia (osteomalacia)?

In many cases, osteomalacia can be treated. However, the process for relieving symptoms in the bones and muscles can take several months.

If the doctor finds that the cause of the weak bones is low vitamin D levels, a vitamin D supplement will be prescribed. The daily dosage range is 20–50 micrograms of vitamin D supplements.

Then, doctors can also prescribe calcium supplements as much as 500-1,000 milligrams per day. The goal is to accelerate bone healing if the calcium intake from your normal diet is below 750 mg a day.

If the cause of osteomalacia is not known with certainty, the treatment is taking vitamin D supplements until the condition improves. If treatment is stopped without a doctor's supervision, these bone disorders can get worse again.

If the person with this bone problem also has kidney problems, the doctor will prescribe a special vitamin D, such as calsitriol. Meanwhile, to relieve pain and discomfort in the bones, the doctor will prescribe pain medication, for example acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

In addition to using drugs, the Cleveland Clinic website mentions several other osteomalacia treatments, namely:

• Using a support corset to reduce the risk or prevent bone deformities.
• Undergo surgical procedures to correct bone deformities due to osteomalacia if they have occurred.

Home remedies for osteomalacia

Home remedies that you can take to reduce symptoms and support the healing of osteomalacia (osteomalacia) are:

• Pay attention to the intake of food consumed. The reason is, there are many vitamins and minerals that can keep bones healthy. If you have trouble deciding on a diet menu, don't hesitate to consult a doctor or nutritionist.
• Quit smoking and drinking alcohol. To keep your body healthy, you are asked to stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Cigarettes are known to inhibit the bone healing process and alcohol can interfere with the performance of the drugs you are taking.
• Get regular exercise. Physical exercise such as walking, running, or lifting weights can help strengthen bones. However, you should avoid this physical activity when a bone is broken or the fracture is healing.

Prevention

How to prevent osteomalacia (osteomalacia)?

Osteomalacia (osteomalacia) is a disease that you can prevent. The following are ways to prevent osteomalacia that you can do are:

Eat foods that are healthy for your bones

Vitamin D is very important for maintaining healthy bones so that it can help prevent bone disorders if you have enough daily intake. Bone-strengthening food options that you can try are dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.

In addition, complete with salmon, mackerel, and bloating as a daily diet. Combine it with broccoli, spinach, mustard greens, tomatoes, peppers, nuts, and fruits like papaya, oranges and bananas.

Sun

Apart from food, you can also get a source of vitamin D through sunlight. So, try to bask in the morning for about 10 minutes every day.

However, make sure if your skin is exposed to direct sunlight. When going to sunbathe, avoid using sun cream because this will interfere with the absorption of sunlight on the skin.

Take supplements if needed

If you can't get enough vitamins and minerals through food, supplements can be an option. However, the use of supplements must be under the supervision of a doctor.

The reason is, the consumption of supplements can cause allergic reactions in certain people and in the long run the risk of causing side effects.