Osteoporosis vs Osteomalacia: What’s the Difference?

Osteoporosis vs Osteomalacia: What’s the Difference? - MalaysiaChronic Conditions

Osteoporosis vs Osteomalacia: What’s the Difference?

Osteoporosis is not the same as osteomalacia. Osteoporosis is the weakening of bones while osteomalacia is the softening of bones caused by mineral and vitamin deficiencies.

According to the Collins Dictionary (2022), the prefixosteo-is indicative of bones. Therefore, for the terms osteoporosis and osteomalacia, it is certain that these conditions are related to the bones. In this article, you would be given the definitions and differences to understand more about the two conditions.

An Overview of Osteoporosis & Osteomalacia

Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones.

It may not be quickly picked up, but over the years, a person’s bones become fragile and more likely to break. This condition is often discovered when a fall or impact causes a bone fracture. People who have osteoporosis tend to get injured in the following areas: wrist, hip, and spinal bones. Breaks may also occur in other parts of the body, and may eventually cause a partial collapse, such as the ribs area. The pain is usually undetected until a bone is broken or there are broken bones in the spine area(making it difficult to support body weight).

On the other hand, osteomalacia is a condition known as “soft bones.”

This is a disease that concerns the weakening of bones, causing them to break easily. However, this condition is not the same as osteoporosis. This condition is primarily due to a disorder of decreased minerals(such as calcium and vitamin D). The bone breaks down faster than the bone is able to re-form. This usually occurs in adults, but in the rarer cases of children, this may lead to rickets.

What Causes Osteoporosis & Osteomalacia?

What causes these two bone conditions? It is time to dive in to find out more.

Causes of Osteoporosis

Conditions such as hyperthyroidism may cause osteoporosis. The thyroid hormone affects the rate of bone replacement. Then, certain medication intake may also contribute to the disease. These may be long-term oral or injected corticosteroids, such as prednisone or cortisone.

Otherwise, these are some of the risk factors of osteoporosis:

  • Age–A person’s bone is constantly being broken down by the body, then growing new bones. However, as a person ages, the rate at which the body is able to replace the bone is slowed down. This would mean that bone is breaking down faster than its replacement. As a result, a person’s bones are less dense and more fragile, increasing the risk of breakage. Age is the biggest risk factor for osteoporosis. In general, most men and women are losing bone at the same rate at the age of 65 to 70.
  • Menopause–This occurs in women around the age of 45 and above. As there are hormonal changes as an effect of menopause, this can cause a woman’s body to lose bone at a rapid pace.
  • Caucasian and/or Asian female.
  • Having a family history of osteoporosis–This makes an individual more likely to be affected by it.
  • Poor nutrition– A lackof minerals and vitamins can increase your risk for osteoporosis.
  • Physical inactivity.
  • Smoking.
  • Low body weight and/or small-boned frame.

Some of these factors can be controlled, but not all. It is important to make changes in order to reduce your risk for osteoporosis.

Causes of Osteomalacia

Mainly, osteomalacia occurs when there is a lack of the proper amount of calcium and vitamin D in the blood. This can lead to weakened bones. Vitamin D is sourced from sunlight or certain foods. The lack of vitamin D may come from the skin or one’s diet:

  • Lack of vitamin D produced by the skin.This may occur if a person lives in a climate that has less sunlight, or stays and works indoors. In addition, a person wears clothes that cover the majority of one’s skin. Otherwise, people who have dark skin pigmentation or use very strong sunscreen may end up absorbing less vitamin D. Some people who are not fit to be outdoors long may suffer from this issue in the long run.
  • Lack of vitamin D from one’s diet.This may happen from not drinking or eating milk products. Vitamin D absorption is also affected if you are lactose intolerant. Most vegetable diets alone do not have sufficient vitamin D incorporated in it. Not only that, persons who have had surgery related to the intestines may not be able to absorb vitamin D well.

Other possible causes of osteomalacia would be lack of phosphates, kidney failure, liver disease or side effects of some medicines.

Signs and Symptoms: Osteoporosis & Osteomalacia

As both of these are conditions affecting the bone, the signs and symptoms may appear to be similar. These conditions incur a deterioration of the bone and usually lead to fractures. Nevertheless, osteoporosis is known as a “silent” disease as it does not cause prominent symptoms, while osteomalacia does.

Some of the possible signs and symptoms of osteoporosis are as follows:

  • Loss of height(getting slightly shorter)
  • Changes in posture(no longer standing straight, possibly stooping or bending forward)
  • Shortness of breath(due to possible compressed bone structure)
  • Pain in the lower back

Meanwhile, these are the most common signs and symptoms of osteomalacia:

  • Feeling pain in the bones and hips
  • Muscle weakness
  • Walking difficulty

Diagnosing Osteoporosis & Osteomalacia

Perhaps you or someone you know are experiencing possible symptoms of osteoporosis or osteomalacia and wish to check it out. These are some of the tests that you may expect from your healthcare provider.

  • Bone density test

This test is carried out to evaluate your bone density decrease and to check for the risk of broken bones. This test can also evaluate treatment progress(if relevant). Small amounts of radiation are used to determine how solid the bones are. This is the only test that can be carried out to diagnose osteoporosis before any fractures occur, but it is rarely done as people do not pick up on the possible “silent” symptoms.

  • Blood and urine test

This test is conducted to assess vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate levels. Low levels of these minerals may lead to osteomalacia.

  • X-ray test

Your healthcare provider may request an x-ray in order to check for structural damage or changes in your bones.

  • Bone biopsy

This is an uncommon but accurate way to detect osteomalacia. For this, a needle is inserted into the pelvic bone to get a sample of bone for analysis in the lab.

Treating Osteoporosis & Osteomalacia

After being diagnosed with the bone condition, it is time to take action in order to avoid the condition from worsening and impacting your way of life.

These are some ways to treat osteoporosis:

  • Oftentimes, you discover osteoporosis when you have broken a bone. Nonetheless, you should still receive treatment to prevent future injuries. Commonly, medications are prescribed. Medication prescriptions may differ from one person to another.
  • Lifestyle changes such as a focused intake of calcium and vitamin D are likely to be prescribed, along with appropriate weight-bearing exercises.
  • Few studies support the use of natural treatments. However, some people report good results with supplements such as red clover and soy to promote bone health.

Usually, osteoporosis cannot be cured but treated only.

Meanwhile, osteomalacia can be treated and cured via the following methods:

  • Your healthcare provider is likely to prescribe vitamin D supplements to improve the condition. Calcium and phosphorus supplements may also be recommended.
  • Sometimes there is another cause of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which result in osteomalacia. For example, if kidney disease is treated, this would treat the bone condition as well.
  • Other treatments may include wearing braces or even surgery to correct bone deformities, in severe cases.

Osteoporosis & Osteomalacia Care for the Elderly

As frail bones become a concern in the elderly, it is important to look into preventive measures. For instance,1 in 3 adults above the age of 65 experience a fall– this is a common cause of injury among the elderly in Singapore.

Falls are a concern as they may cause minor or major injuries. At worsened conditions, they may lead to mobility issues, early admission to long-term care facilities, and may even increase one’s mortality rate. Elderly affected by osteoporosis or osteomalacia are likely to have poorer balance, unsteadiness, weakness, rigidity and side effects from ongoing medications.

Thus, it is apt to make the surroundings of your elderly person as safe as possible, by considering the following measures:

  • Identity and remove tripping hazards. This would involve removing clutter from the floor.
  • Equip the home with more grab handles to assist with safety in manoeuvring around. In addition, you can also have anti-slip mats in the bathroom.
  • Keep the place sufficiently lit.
  • Consider having someone to keep the elderly company, or check in with them regularly.
  • Have a walking cane or device. In addition, you can also have an emergency phone or system on the elderly person for communication purposes.

In summary, osteoporosis and osteomalacia deal with the bone. Both are conditions that require care, especially in the elderly, to protect a person’s quality of life. References

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