Paget's disease is a problem of abnormal bone growth. The bone tissue breaks down too fast, so the body speeds up the rebuilding process. But the new bone is often weak and brittle. Most people don't have symptoms, but some have bone pain and deformed or broken bones. Paget's disease may be treated with medicines.
Most people with Paget's disease have no symptoms. When symptoms occur, the most common ones are:
Other symptoms may occur, depending on which part of the body is affected by Paget's disease.
You may not need treatment. But you will need regular doctor visits to watch for problems from the disease, such as arthritis. If you need treatment, your doctor may prescribe medicine to reduce bone loss and control symptoms. You might also need other treatments, such as over-the-counter pain relievers, physical therapy, or splints.
Paget's disease is most often found by chance when a person sees a doctor for a problem such as hip or back pain. An abnormal X-ray or blood test may lead the doctor to discover this disease.
To diagnose Paget's disease, the doctor will ask about your past health, do a physical exam, and order tests such as:
Affected bones often look deformed and too thick on X-rays.
This is the best test for diagnosing Paget's disease. You may have a bone scan of your whole body to find out which bones are affected.
The most important one for diagnosing Paget's disease is a blood test for alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme made by bone. If the level of this enzyme is high, your doctor will want to do other tests.
You might also need other tests, such as an MRI or a CT scan.
There are many things you can do to help yourself when you have Paget's disease.
Paget's disease can cause complications such as:
Rare complications of Paget's disease include:
People with Paget's disease often develop kidney stones and/or calcium deposits in blood vessels and heart valves. These problems are caused by increased calcium in the body from the faster-than-normal breakdown of bone tissue.
Paget's disease is a problem of abnormal bone growth. It may affect just one bone, but it usually affects more than one.
Paget's disease is most common in people older than 50, and the risk of getting it increases with age. Most people who have it are able to lead normal lives.
The cause of Paget's disease is not clear. But it may be related to:
You're more likely to get Paget's disease if your parents, brothers, or sisters have it.
The viruses linked to measles in people and distemper in dogs have been found in the bones of people with Paget's disease. But there's no proof that these viruses cause this disease.
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