These minerals and nutrients need to remain at a balanced level for adequate functionality of our body.
If these minerals and nutrients exceed their normal ranges, it causes some serious complications and the same is the case if the level of these vital minerals is lower than the normal range.
Some diseases also have an impact on the level of minerals and nutrients. One such disease is Chronic Kidney Disease. This disease alters the excretion process of our body which results in the loss of essential nutrients and minerals from our body.
For the treatment of chronic kidney disease patients need to go through a treatment called dialysis. As a side effect of dialysis patients start losing calcium from their bodies, their bones become weak and their blood vessels are also badly affected.
This condition where patients suffer from weak and painful bone is known as Mineral Bone disease. In this article we will take a look at causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment for mineral bone disease.
Causes
Our kidneys need to work at their best to maintain a well-balanced level of minerals and nutrients in our body. When a patient is suffering from chronic kidney disease, their kidneys stop playing this important role. And patients need dialysis as a treatment to help their kidneys carry these vital functions artificially. Dialysis brings in a lot of complications.
Among these complications one such complication is loss of calcium and phosphorus from the body and hormonal changes.
These complications lead to mineral bone disease, as a result the bones of the patient’s body become very weak and prone to breakage.
Symptoms
There are several different symptoms of mineral bone disease. Some of which are:
- The skin gets very itchy
- The bones become weak as a result minor injuries cause fractures
- Patients feel lack of strength
- Blood vessels get blocked
- Patients suffer from anemia
- Patients immunity becomes weak
- Patients suffer from excruciating pain in their bones
If you see even the slightest of these symptoms and have a history of kidney problems as well, you should visit a Nephrologist in Health Icon Medical & Diagnostic Centre as soon as possible.
Diagnosis
As we have already mentioned, mineral bone disease usually occurs in patients with chronic kidney disease. So if you are someone who is suffering from chronic kidney disease you should keep an eye out for any symptoms of mineral bone disease. And if you see any symptoms you should visit a Nephrologist in Islamabad immediately. They may use these diagnostic procedures to see if you have mineral bone disease or not:
- Serum PTH tests
- Calcium and phosphorus levels are checked
- Serum ALPs are also measured
- Bicarbonate levels are also checked
Treatment
Several treatments are put in place to deal with mineral bone disease. The basic aim of most treatments is to control the damage as much as possible.
One thing that helps in treating mineral bone disease is controlling the parathyroid hormone levels in your body. The levels of this hormone can be easily controlled by following this set of instructions:
- Alter your diet according to your doctor’s instructions
- Take prescribed supplements and medications regularly
- Eliminate phosphorus from your diet
- Ydialysis if your doctor recommends it as a treatment for your mineral bone disease .