Paget’s Disease of the Bone:
Symptoms and Causes

Paget's disease of bone is a condition that affects the way your bone breaks down and rebuilds (metabolizes). Healthy bone metabolism allows for old bone to be recycled into new bone throughout the course of your life. In Paget's disease of bone, the rate at which old bone is broken down and new bone is formed becomes distorted. Over time, the affected bones may become fragile and misshapen.

SYMPTOMS:

At first, there are no symptoms other than possibly mild pain in the effected bones, generally at night or when working. There may be joint pain in nearby joints.

In one area, one or more of the bones are deformed. There is bone pain and degeneration, arthritis, obvious bony deformities, and an increased tendency to fractures. Bone deformities may include bowleg, bent spine, barrel-shaped chest, or enlarged forehead.

The bones most frequently affected are those of the spine, thighs, pelvis, skull, hips, shins, and upper arms.

Long-standing Paget’s disease of the bone may also lead to numbness, tingling, or weakness in the affected area if the bone presses on adjacent nerves. It may cause ringing in the ears or hearing loss if abnormal growth of bone compresses nerves to the ear.

CAUSES:

In a healthy person, bone is continually being broken down and replaced by new bone to maintain the normal bone structure. However, Paget’s disease of the bone is an ongoing deterioration of certain parts of the skeleton. At those locations, the bone degenerates at the same time that new bone is made, which is deficient in calcium and therefore fragile. The result is larger bony areas which are deformed.

Because it produces few symptoms, the disease is often first diagnosed when a chance X-ray discovers it.

The cause is unknown, but a viral condition may be involved. Those who live in rural settings, eat wholesome diets, and have outdoor activities are less likely to contract this disease, according to Natural Remedies Encyclopedia.