The symptoms of Paget's disease of the bone can be unpredictable. Some people never experience symptoms, some have symptoms only in very localized areas of the body and others suffer symptoms all over the body. Once symptoms appear, a bone scan and blood tests are taken to diagnose the condition. Treatment involves medication designed to address the painful symptoms and put the condition in remission.
Tendons
Paget's disease can have an effect on the tendons that surround the affected bones. The condition may accelerate the wear and tear on tendons and joints until arthritis begins to set in. When this occurs, the joints may begin to swell and moving can become painful. The joints also may become stiff and difficult to move.
Nerve Symptoms
One of the effects of Paget's disease is bone enlargement. As the bones expand, they can begin to put pressure on surrounding nerves by pressing them against internal organs or pinching the nerves in between two bones. When this occurs, there initially will be sharp pain in the affected area that may evolve into a constant burning pain. If this is left untreated, the burning pain may develop into a tingling sensation and then eventually into a numbness. The nerve pain can combine with bone pain generated by Paget's disease to create an extremely uncomfortable condition.
Skull Symptoms
When Paget's disease starts to affect the bones of the skull, pressure is put on the brain. This can create symptoms including severe and persistent headaches, vision problems such as double vision or blurred vision that could turn to a complete loss of vision, and hearing problems that start as tinnitus and could develop into total hearing loss.
Bone Pain
Paget's disease attacks the bones and creates a constant, dull and aching pain. It is possible that this pain is most severe during the night. As the condition progresses, the bone pain may become powerful enough to wake a person from a sound sleep. The bones also may become brittle if the condition goes untreated, and this could result in fractures.
Expert Insight
According to Mayo Clinic, Paget's disease normally shows symptoms later in life and many people dismiss this bone pain as a part of growing older. As with any condition, the earlier Paget's disease is detected, the more successful treatment may be. Mayo Clinic recommends reporting bone pain to a doctor right away to prevent Paget's disease from causing long-term damage.
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