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Brittle Bone Disease - Causes, Symptoms, Health Insurance Coverage

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​What Is Brittle Bone Disease?

As the name suggests, Brittle bone is a disease of bone that makes bones fragile which results in the breakage of bones easily. One can see this disease at the time of birth. This disease mainly develops in people that have a history of this disease in their families. Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is another name of this disease, which means imperfectly formed bone. This disease is mostly mild but in some severe cases it can cause: 

  • ​Loss of hearing
  • Permanent deformities
  • Heart failure
  • Problems related to the spinal cord​

    • This disease is more life-threatening in babies. One in 20,000 people suffer from this disease irrespective of the gender or ethnic group.

    Symptoms

    Given below are some of the signs and symptoms that a patient suffering from Brittle Bone Disease can have:

  • Permanent bone deformities
  • Loose joints
  • Multiple broken bones
  • Weak teeth
  • Bowed arms and legs 
  • Blue Sclera, which means bluish color in the white part of the eye
  • An abnormal curve of the upper spine or Kyphosis
  • Loss of hearing at a young age 
  • The abnormal lateral curve of the spine or Scoliosis
  • Heart -related diseases 
  • Respiratory Problems

    • If you are facing any of the symptoms mentioned above, you should immediately consult your doctor for proper treatment.

    ​Diagnosis

    To diagnose brittle bone disease your doctor will ask you to take X-rays. This diagnostic test will help your doctor to see current and past broken bones. This diagnostic test will also make it easier for your doctor to view defects in your bones. These lab tests will help the doctor to properly analyze the structure of your child's collagen. 

    In some scenarios, your doctor will ask you to go through a skin punch biopsy. In this biopsy, your doctor will use a hollow, sharp tube to remove a small part of your tissue.

    Your doctor might ask you to go through genetic testing as it can trace the source of any defective genes.

    Treatment

    There is no cure available for brittle bone disease. However, certain therapies will reduce the risk of broken bones in your child. These therapies will also increase the quality of life. Some of the treatments for the brittle bone disease are mentioned below: 

  • Occupational and physical therapies that can enhance your child's muscle strength and mobility.
  • Medications like Bisphosphonate that helps strengthen your child's bones
  • Medications that reduce any pain in the bone
  • Exercises that help in making bones strong 
  • Your doctor might prescribe to insert a rod in your child's bone via surgery 
  • Reconstructive surgery that can correct bone deformities
  • Counseling that can make patient strong mentally ​​


    • ​Health Insurance

    Suffering from health issues is not only physically taxing but can also drain you financially. Therefore, it is advised to buy health insurance policy which will provide financial coverage that can take care of medical expenses and hospitalization bills. It takes care of pre and post hospitalization bills. If you buy health insurance, you will not only get the cashless treatment from a network hospital where the bill is directly settled by your insurance provider with the hospital but will also enjoy tax benefits under section 80D of Income Tax Act, 1961. Make sure to know your policy details and covers before purchasing a health insurance policy.​