Rickets – also called English disease – is a bone disorder that mainly occurs in children. It is caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, calcium and phosphate and has various symptoms such as bow legs, weak bones and weak muscles. Read more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of rickets below.

About Rickets

Rickets is a bone disorder that mainly affects young children. It is characterized by low bone formation and poor quality bones. Rickets is also called English disease, because it is a bone disorder that used to occur in highly industrialized areas of London. In these neighborhoods there were tall buildings and people saw little sunlight. Sunlight is the most important source of vitamin D. Rickets is currently rare because various foods are now fortified with vitamin D.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a vitamin that our body can produce itself. We are therefore not dependent on external sources for its production, except sunlight. Vitamin D consists of different parts, of which vitamins D2 and D3 are the most important. Vitamin D is particularly important for strong teeth and bones. It also reduces bone loss. Vitamin D also has an important function in the immune system. A vitamin D deficiency has several consequences, one of which is rickets. People over 65 in particular are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, because they often have a reduced ability to produce vitamin D. Alcoholics are also at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency, because excessive alcohol consumption reduces the production of vitamin D. D disrupts.

Causes

Rickets is caused by a deficiency of vitamin D in the body. Vitamin D deficiency, in turn, can have various causes. For example, it may be that you see too little daylight, but it may also be that you are less able to produce vitamin D yourself. This is mainly the case with alcoholics and people over 65.The function of the kidneys in our body is to convert inactive vitamin D into active vitamin D. If this does not happen sufficiently, a chronic vitamin D deficiency can occur. Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium and phosphate and if there is a vitamin D deficiency, this absorption is insufficient. Because calcium and phosphate play an important role in bone growth, a vitamin D deficiency – whatever the cause – ultimately leads to rickets. In adults, the bone tissue is already mature and vitamin D deficiency makes the bones of poor quality. We also call this osteomalacia . Their bones break more quickly.

Symptoms

There are several symptoms of rickets. Most of them are related to the bones of our body. After all, vitamin D deficiency affects the absorption of calcium and phosphate, which in turn affects the quality of our bones. In addition, phosphate also affects our muscles. Below are the different symptoms of rickets.

• Slowed growth.
• O-legs / crooked legs.
• Spinal deformity.
• Rectangular head, also due to weak and abnormal bones in the skull.
• Weak muscles.
• Painful joints.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of rickets is made on the basis of a comprehensive physical examination. Blood tests should show the phosphate and vitamin D levels. The patient’s urine is also examined to see what the phosphate levels are. Deformity of the bones can be seen on X-rays.

Therapy

If rickets is the result of a lack of daylight, the solution is simple. You should then go outside more often and see daylight. However, if kidney disease is the cause of insufficient active vitamin D in the body, this condition should be treated. This can sometimes be more difficult and patients may have to get phosphate into the body in a different way. For example, through dialysis. In most cases, patients must also take phosphate supplements and vitamin D to somewhat limit the consequences of the deficiency and, if possible, to recover.

Future perspective

Prevention is better than cure. This also applies to a large extent to rickets. It’s like a plant that you plant crookedly in the backyard. This plant will then grow crooked and once it is of a reasonable size, the shape can no longer be restored. It is the same with the child’s skeleton affected by rickets.