The Cause and Prevention of Brittle Bone Disease

Posted by Antonyportas on January 29th, 2019

Fragile bone disease, also known as osteoporosis, is a degenerative bone disease that affects thousands of people every year in the United States. About 93,000 osteoporotic fractures of the hip, and about 11–19 percent of people in the United States. They die within a year due to such fractures.

A healthy bone is formed by small holes that resemble a honeycomb, but in the bones affected by osteoporosis, these cellular openings begin to break, and much larger openings are created. This leads to the fact that the bone loses its strength and becomes thin and brittle.

Three different types of bone cells help support bones, they are:

• Osteoclasts that remove bone tissue.
• Osteoblasts that create new bone cells.
• Osteocytes that facilitate the entire process.

Fragile bones arise when osteoclast cells have to work harder, and as a result they create wider gaps in the honeycomb than what the osteoblast sells can actually fill.

Because of this, there is a significant loss of growth of the affected person, and the spine is also displaced. Some of the areas of high risk for this disease are the hips, shoulders, wrist and back.

Some risk factors that can lead to osteoporosis are:

• smoking
• low body weight
• lack of activity
• Diet, low calcium intake.
• drugs, including long-term use of steroids
• family history
• excessive drinking

Some of these risk factors, such as gender and family history, are hereditary and unforeseen. However, factors such as drug use, smoking, lack of physical activity can increase the risk of osteoporosis, and changes in lifestyle can reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Symptoms of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is often referred to as “silent disease” because there are several noticeable symptoms that indicate that a person is at risk or has developed a disease. However, people with frail bone disease will experience more frequent bone fractures. If a bone fracture is caused by a slight fall or even a lack of a fall, it is advisable to ask your doctor to evaluate the risk of osteoporosis.

Often a condition that causes fragile bones is hereditary, that is, it is passed on from one generation to another. It is important to know that some people can also develop it throughout their lives, even if there is no osteoporosis in the family.

The gene affected by the disease of fragile bones, is responsible for the production of collagen, and also plays an important role in the protection of bones. 

How to prevent and control osteoporosis

Osteogenesis imperfect can be prevented with a nutritious diet rich in calcium, minerals and vitamins. In addition, regular exercise, dancing, jogging and walking are also helpful. Try to maintain a healthy body weight and avoid smoking or excessive drinking. Soft drinks should also be avoided, as they may interfere with the absorption of calcium in the body.