International Paget’s Disease Awareness Day is annually observed on January 11, and it marks the anniversary of the birth of Sir James Paget, for whom the disease is named. This day is celebrated to bring attention to Paget’s disease of the bones.
In a healthy body, the process of remodelling causes new bone tissue to constantly replace the old. However, Paget’s disease of the bones disrupts the regular pattern of bone renewal, leading to brittle and deformed bones.
Bones affected by Paget’s disease may become deformed or fractured over time. Paget’s disease most frequently manifests itself in the skeletal system, specifically the spine, skull, pelvis, and femur.
PDB affects anywhere from 2% to 7% of the population in Western Europe and North America who are over the age of 55.
Symptoms Of The Illness
Bones affected by Paget’s disease may become deformed or fractured over time. Paget’s disease most frequently manifests itself in the skeletal system, specifically the spine, skull, pelvis, and femur.
Treatment for bone pain often begins with a diagnosis from a chance x-ray, blood test, or bone scan. We are more likely to contract the disease if we are older or have a family history of it.
Other symptoms may include damage to cartilage, pressure on the nerves, headaches or hearing loss, hip pain, or increased curvature of the spine, as stated by MedlinePlus.
Paget’s disease can result in a variety of secondary health complications, including osteosarcoma, kidney stones, heart failure, arthritis, and vision loss, in addition to issues affecting the nervous system.
The Paget’s Association
Patients with Paget’s disease can turn to the Paget’s Association, a UK-based nonprofit that also funds research and works to spread awareness. Ann Stansfield founded the Paget’s Association in 1973 to raise money for research into the disease so that her husband, Alf, could get better care.
One of Stansfield’s three stated goals in forming the organisation was to increase public and professional understanding of the disease. Paget’s Association is announcing the launch of the Paget’s Passport in conjunction with the very first Paget’s Awareness Day.
This patient has kept this document with them throughout their experience with Paget’s disease. It is recommended that you take it with you to each and every one of your doctor’s appointments so that you can more easily keep track of important information and have better care and communication.
The association is also promoting a new clinical guideline that was developed by experts to provide recommendations for the diagnosis and management of Paget’s disease. This guideline was developed in order to help the association better serve its members.
It facilitates collaboration amongst professionals, providing them with a shared basis on which to base their decisions, and it also paves the way for improved lines of communication between patients and their treating physicians.
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Paget’s Day: A Historical Perspective
Sir James Paget, an English baronet, discovered this bone disease during his extensive work in pathology. In 1877, he wrote his first paper on the disease, in which he hypothesised that an inflammatory reaction in the bone tissues was to blame for the disease’s symptoms. The true nature of the disease wasn’t uncovered until decades after his death.
In the beginning, Sir Paget’s interest in the disease was sparked by a coachman who came to the hospital where Sir Paget was working complaining of severe pain in his lower limbs. Sir Paget was the physician who diagnosed the coachman with rheumatoid arthritis. Upon conducting a more in-depth examination, Paget discovered malformations and growths in the man’s shin and thigh bones.
Paget continued to monitor his patient and provide pain management treatments while at the same time conducting research on the underlying cause of the disease. This went on for the next 26 years. The coachman’s head had grown so big that his old hats no longer fit, and his knees had become so bowed that he could never bring them together again.
Additionally, his knees became so bowed that he could no longer bring his feet together.
There Are Several Common Triggers For Paget’s Disease
- The risk of developing Paget’s disease is increased by a family history of the disorder.
- The incidence rises with age, making the elderly a particularly vulnerable population.
- Paget’s disease is more common among people of Anglo-Saxon ancestry and those who live in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Western Europe.
Treatment for Paget’s Illness
Although Paget’s disease has no known cure, it can be managed with treatment. Some examples of drugs are:
- To control bone growth, bisphosphonates are used.
- Nonprescription analgesics
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other forms of rehabilitation
- Repairing a broken bone, correcting a deformity, or relieving severe osteoarthritis pain often requires surgery.
- Nutrition and diet: vitamin D and calcium
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