Most Common Bone Diseases in India
Living with bone diseases means facing daily life challenges. Bones are composed of living tissues that not only provide support and form the shape for our bodies but also protect the body’s inner organs. Although the bones are very light, they are strong enough to support one’s entire body weight. A human body is made up of 206 bones, and just like all the other body parts, bones also are constantly going through a cycle of renewal through a process called remodeling.
Bone diseases can make your bone easy to break. So, it becomes important to get enough Calcium, Vitamin D, and exercise to prevent bone loss when you are older.
Most Common Bone Diseases That People Suffer in India
⦁ Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis means “porous bone”, and is a condition where the bones become very weak and brittle. It is by far the most common bone disease in India that occurs when the body loses too much bone or makes too little bone or both.
Caption: Bones affected with osteoporosis disease Credits: Wikimedia.org
It is commonly found to affect women more than men, and even the children may be at risk of developing juvenile osteoporosis. Symptoms of osteoporosis don’t surface until a bone fracture makes them visit a nearby doctor who makes the diagnosis. In serious cases, the bones tend to fracture with just a sneeze or minor bumps.
⦁ Paget’s Disease
This is a chronic bone disorder where the bone renewal process (remodeling) is disrupted. In Paget’s disease, the bone remodeling process occurs too quickly, leading to abnormally shaped, brittle, or weak bones. The bone deformities are usually found in areas of the spine, skull, pelvis, and the long bones of the thighs. Risk factors of Paget’s disease include increasing age and a hereditary component.
Caption: Deformed bone due to paget’s disease Credits: Wikimedia.org
⦁ Rickets
Also, called osteomalacia is commonly found in children with inadequate Vitamin D, Calcium, and Phosphate. The disease is characterized by softening and weakening of the bones, leading to stunted growth, and, in severe cases, skeletal deformities in the body.
Caption: Deformed bone of the child due to rickets Credits: Wikimedia.org
⦁ Osteonecrosis
A disease called Avascular necrosis results due to the death of bone cells. Osteonecrosis results due to the disruption of blood flow to the bone causing the death of bone tissue. Symptoms include pain that worsens gradually. Osteonecrosis is associated with Prolonged high-dose steroid use.
Caption: Death of bone cells due to osteonecrosis Credits: Wikimedia.org
⦁ Bone Tumors
Bone tumors result due to the growth of abnormal mass of tissue inside the bone. These tumors can be benign or malignant. Bone tumors results due to abnormal healing of an injury inherited conditions and radiation therapy. People with a bone tumor may experience dull, aching pain and minor injury near the tumor.
Caption: Abnormal growth of cells inside bone Credits: Wikimedia.org
⦁ Osteoarthritis
A chronic degenerative joint disease, that occurs due to the wear down of protective cartilage over time. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that acts as a cushion between bones breaks down. The symptoms include pain, inflammation, and stiffness gradually worsens over time.
Caption: inflammation in the joint showing osteoarthritis Credits: Pixabay
⦁ Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive inflammatory disease that results due to immunodeficiency disorder. In RA, Inflammatory changes occur throughout the connective tissues of the body causing a painful swelling that can eventually result in irreversible bone erosion and damage to the joint.
Caption: Rheumatoid arthritis bone disorder Credits: pixabay
⦁ Scoliosis
It Is a deviation in the normal spinal curvature which may include lateral, or sideways, deviation of the spine, or vertebral column. It usually strikes just before puberty. Most cases are reported with mild symptoms but in some cases, it worsens over time.
Caption: Deviated spinal curvature due to scoliosis Credits: pixabay
⦁ Low Bone Density
Also called osteopenia, is a condition with lower bone density. Low bone density can lead to osteoporosis in the future if you lose more bone density. It is important to improve bone density to avoid osteoporosis.
⦁ Gout
Caption: Inflammatory gout disease Credits: Wikimedia.org
Gout is a metabolic disorder that results due to the deposition of uric acid crystals in and around the joints. It is characterized by recurrent acute attacks of severe inflammation in one or more joints.
Conclusion
In addition to the above mentioned bone disorders, there are many other bone disorders that are found to be rare and affecting the Indian population. It is important for us to take care of our bone health as we age, because the remodelling process becomes slow and bones tend to become weak as we age. Consume foods rich in calcium, exercise and absorb vitamin D from sunlight daily for at least 15 minutes.