{"id":5420,"date":"2019-04-11T10:26:13","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T10:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=5420"},"modified":"2021-06-02T11:57:54","modified_gmt":"2021-06-02T11:57:54","slug":"14-symptoms-of-osteomalacia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/14-symptoms-of-osteomalacia\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Symptoms of Osteomalacia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Osteomalacia is a common condition affecting both children and adults, and it affects people all over the world \u2013 although it\u2019s far more commonly seen in parts of the world where people don\u2019t get enough exposure to natural sunlight, and aren\u2019t able to supplement their diets with enough vitamins and minerals such as calcium and Vitamins E and D.
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The condition can be caused by these deficiencies directly, but can also be caused by a range of different health conditions which cause these deficiencies such as celiac disease or stomach ulcers by interfering with how your body absorbs essential nutrients.
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Osteomalacia can cause a wide variety of different health conditions in turn, including muscle weakness, radiating pain in the bones, pain during exercise that wouldn\u2019t normally hurt or worsening pain from what would otherwise be considered slight injuries.
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Here are the 8 essential symptoms that you should be looking out for.
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1. Muscle Weakness<\/strong>
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Muscle weakness<\/a> is one of the most common symptoms of developing osteomalacia because of the fact that the deficiencies that cause the softness of the bones will also inevitably cause weakness of the muscles that gets progressively worse over time if it\u2019s left untreated.
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There are also other conditions that can potentially lead to muscle weakness, and it\u2019s an extremely wide range of disorders at the same time \u2013 dietary issues, high blood pressure, and anemia are just some of the conditions that can cause chronic muscle weakness. It\u2019s vital that these are eliminated as potential causes, so mention any symptoms that you experience to your doctor during your next appointment.
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Pay attention if you experience muscle weakness together with any of the other symptoms mentioned on this list including fractures in the bone or increased muscle stiffness not due to exercise or other conditions. Make an appointment with your doctor.
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2. Radiating Pain in the Bones<\/strong>
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Radiating pain in the bones together with some of the other symptoms mentioned on this list (especially muscle weakness and bone fractures) are commonly seen in osteomalacia. When experiencing pain in the bones <\/a>that appear to radiate or stab, an appointment with your doctor is necessary as soon as possible \u2013 it\u2019s not the kind of condition that you want to let sit, especially if it\u2019s getting more painful over time: Osteomalacia requires adaptations and the proper treatment, and it\u2019s not the kind of thing that can just get better by itself \u2013 and this is always safer with the guidance of a medical doctor.
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Osteomalacia directly affects the bones, and the radiating pain experienced is an early warning sign that the bones are turning \u2018soft\u2019 due to a serious lack of the necessary vitamins and minerals needed in a healthy diet.
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If you notice this symptom, avoid excess weight or pressure.
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3. Pain During Exercise<\/strong>
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Pain experienced during exercise should always be a cause for concern, especially if it\u2019s considered to be more than the usual discomfort that someone would experience after a hard session exercising. This can be considered a common symptom of osteomalacia \u2013 because of the strain that the condition places on both the muscles <\/a>and bones, exercise puts extra strain on the body that it normally wouldn\u2019t \u2013 and it\u2019s often too much for the body to handle.
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If you experience any of the other symptoms of osteomalacia together with this symptom, it\u2019s especially important that you make an appointment with your doctor and cease all forms of exercise until you have the all-clear from your medical professional.
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If you suffer from osteomalacia or what\u2019s commonly called soft bones, exercising past your capacity can lead to fractures and breaks in the bone. Any pain during exercise is an important symptom and means that you should find the cause, even if it\u2019s not osteomalacia.
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4. Worsening Pain from Minor Injuries<\/strong>
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Osteomalacia is a health condition which can cause severe complications with bone and muscle health, and one of the first symptoms that people experience together with pain in the bones and weakness <\/a>of the muscles is a constant worsening pain from what would otherwise have been minor injuries; for example, a small bruise might make a larger bump, and a knock against a table might cause a bone fracture where it would have just been a bump or bruise.
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It\u2019s often one of the first warning signs that you should look for if you\u2019re displaying other symptoms of osteomalacia, although it can easily also be a symptom of other disorders that are related to your bone health. The best course of action if you\u2019re displaying several of the symptoms is to make an appointment with your doctor as soon as you can so that a proper and thorough diagnosis can be made.
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5. Muscle Stiffness<\/strong>
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There are a thousand different health conditions which might contribute to muscle stiffness<\/a>, and many of these conditions can be put down to simple fatigue \u2013 not stretching before you exercise, exercising too much in a short period of time and just downright straining your muscles are some of the things that can be pointed to as the cause. Sometimes sleeping on the wrong type of pillow could even be behind the symptoms.
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But there are times where the explanation isn\u2019t as simple as this; in this case, you should be looking to more serious health conditions such as osteomalacia. In some cases it can even be because of a related muscle or neurological condition \u2013 muscle stiffness has been reported in cases of MS, and everything from epilepsy through to dementia.
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To consider muscle stiffness a potential symptom of osteomalacia,  note if you are experiencing any other symptoms at the same time.
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6. Microfractures<\/strong>
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Microfractures <\/a>are a very common symptom of osteomalacia, and it\u2019s especially more common as the condition progresses to worse. This is partially due to the fact that the condition affects the bones and makes them weaker than they normally would be. This means that the bones can\u2019t handle the amount of pressure or weight that they normally would, and smaller injuries to the bone suddenly become bigger ones.
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To name just one practical example, what would normally be a small bump that just causes a bruise can turn into something more serious pretty soon \u2013 and this can cause smaller fractures in the bone. These smaller fractures can cause pain, discomfort and even an increased risk of cancer \u2013 they can also turn into larger breaks.
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These types of fractures can be spotted on an X-Ray, and extreme pain and swelling might be the only outward symptoms that it\u2019s there at all.
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7. Breaks in Bone<\/strong>
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Smaller fractures in the bone aren\u2019t the only symptom that relates to bones and osteomalacia \u2013 these can also turn into larger breaks in the bone over time, especially with further impact or stress to the same area. Sometimes larger breaks in the bone can occur from something that\u2019s a simple knock or a fall \u2013 and with an underlying condition such as osteomalacia to think about, these breaks often won\u2019t be able to heal properly due to the fact that it\u2019s caused by nutritional deficiencies like calcium and vitamin D<\/a> and E.
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Breaks in bone should always be considered serious, and will usually require a trip to the emergency room for immediate treatment. If you\u2019ve noticed any other symptoms of osteomalacia, mention this to the attending medical team in the emergency room or during your next doctor\u2019s appointment to ensure the condition gets the proper treatment.
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8. Dislocation<\/strong>
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Dislocation <\/a>is one of the most common bones and joint-related symptoms that prompt a visit to the doctor, especially if it\u2019s something that happens regularly; it can usually point to a condition such as osteomalacia, but it can also sometimes point to a related condition such as hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos (EDS) or Marfan Syndrome at the same time. If you experience several of the symptoms together on this list and the symptoms can\u2019t be traced down to something else wrong with your health, make an appointment with your doctor.
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Dislocation can be extremely painful and uncomfortable, although people might not always notice that something is dislocated until a medical professional has taken a closer look at the injury for a proper diagnosis.
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If it occurs with a connective tissue disorder, symptomatic treatment is usually best to control the underlying disorder \u2013 and if without, diet adaptations can often assist to correct the damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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