Fragile Bones Disease

I was working in the garden, tripped and fell. A sharp pain went through my hip. When my family helped me get up I could no longer stand on my right leg.

— Old woman

Fragile bones disease is a condition which causes the bones to break more easily. It is most commonly seen in elderly people.

Causes

What causes fragile bones disease is not certain. It does seem to tie in with growing older. Medical scholars claim that human bones become more fragile with age. That somehow they get renewed throughout our lives.
Some doctors find this claim preposterous. Yet scientists at the Ippah medical research facility claim they have found prove that bones do become more fragile with age.

We have been able to examine human bones from various age groups. When cut in two the difference is obvious. Our bones become porous with age. We must find ways to prevent this.

— Researcher at the Ippah medical facility

Symptoms

There are typically no symptoms in the early stages of fragile bones disease. But once the bones have become fragile one might complain about lower back pain.
The most obvious symptom occurs when a person breaks a bone much more easily than expected. In some cases bones even break spontaneously.

Prevention

Researchers believe there is a connection between physical activity and fragile bones. Farmers who have worked on their fields all their lives have stronger bones than a person who sat down a lot for their work.
Food might also play a role in prevention. Researchers are still trying to determine how exactly.

Treatment

So far no medicine has been found to strengthen the bones. Although researchers keep trying to find a cure.
Patients are recommended to do daily exercises believed to lessen the fragility of their bones. It is also important to prevent falls.

Prognosis

In fragile bones disease the bones become progressively more brittle. Some patients seem to be able to almost stop the degeneration. Physical exercise and eating the right diet play a vital role according to them.

Type

Physiological

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Common

DRAFT
This article is currently a work in progress and may be incomplete or subject to change.