Rickets is a softening of the bones due to a deficiency of vitamin D, which helps the body to absorb calcium. Rickets is diagnosed with a physical exam, X-rays and blood tests to check calcium levels. Treatment of rickets can include a regimen of vitamin D and calcium supplements, along with braces to help bone growth.
Initial Symptoms
Rickets may take some time to develop, but it can make you feel uncomfortable in the early stages. You may start to feel restless, irritable and anxious for no reason. You may also randomly break out in a sweat--more frequently on the forehead and more often at night than during the day. Sometimes weather changes from season to season can also make the initial symptoms of rickets more prominent, especially the colder and damp air of winter and spring.
Pain
One of the more common symptoms of rickets is pain that feels as though it originates in the bones, most commonly in the arms, spine, pelvis and legs. Rickets pain is normally characterized as being an achy and dull pain that is ongoing. Areas around the bone, as well as the bones themselves, may feel tender to the touch.
Bone Deformities
According to the Mayo Clinic, rickets can lead to bone deformities in the pelvic bones that make walking painful and curvature of the spine. The bone deformity most associated with rickets is bowed legs, which is caused when the bones in the legs start to weaken. The bones also become more brittle, causing a higher rate of broken bones in people with rickets.
Dental Symptoms
Rickets can also cause the erosion of tooth enamel, an increase in cavities and delayed formation of teeth.
Abdominal Symptoms
People suffering from rickets may experience digestive problems such as increased flatulence and bouts of diarrhea. The abdominal muscles may also start to go soft and become noticeably flabby. This loss of muscle tone can spread to other parts of the body as rickets progresses.
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