The Strange Disease That Darkens the Whiteness of Our Bones

Bones are white in color, but due to some ailments to color change it may crash. Although most of us are now hearing for the first time that bones can change color, and it is hard to believe, this is possible with the “Black Bone” disease.

This condition, which can be seen in only about 1% of 250,000 to 1 million people worldwide, it can darken the color of our bones And besides, it can cause many problems. So what is Alkaptonuria and how does it occur?

Black Bone disease is a very rare disease that prevents the body from completely breaking down two protein building blocks — amino acids — called tyrosine and phenylalanine.

Alkaptonuria causes a chemical called homogentisic acid to build up in the body. causing the urine and parts of the body to turn a dark color causes and may invite other health problems over time.

Amino acids are normally broken down by a series of chemical reactions, but homogentisic acid, a substance produced along the way in Alkaptunuria, cannot continue to be broken down any longer. The reason for this is the so-called proteins, which play a major role in the realization of chemical reactions. failure of enzymes to work properly.

So how can hereditary Black Bone disease occur?

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Each cell in the human body contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, and this structure carries genes inherited from parents. Each of the chromosome pairs is inherited from an individual. two copies of each gene in each cell has.

The gene involved in alkaptonuria is a gene called HGD, and the faulty HGD for the development of this disease, one from each parent, is required. inheriting two copies must. The probability of this happening is very low.

Since homogentisic acid causes the urine to turn black in contact with air for a few hours, the dark color of the baby’s diaper provides great awareness in detecting this ailment.

If this sign is overlooked in an infant or child, the person is in their late 20s to early 30s. will not show any other distinct symptoms. This discomfort may go unnoticed.

This acid slowly accumulates in the tissues of the body over many years and cartilage, nails, ears, bones and even the heart It tends to accumulate in almost every part of the body, including In this direction, tissues and parts of the body acquire a dark color close to black.

By the age of 30, this disease manifests itself primarily with joint complaints.

In addition, typical low back pain and stiffness in the lumbar region, knee, hip and shoulder pain can be seen, while cartilage, which is a hard and flexible tissue in the body, can become fragile and break. joint and spine damage leads to

People with this disease may develop brown or black spots in the white parts of their eyes, and thickening of the ear cartilage can be observed in this area. blue, gray or black it can turn into It is also seen that the earwax is black, brown or red.

Black Bone disease not only causes these symptoms, but also causes visible changes on the skin.

While alkaptonuria can produce blue and black spots on some areas of the skin, this is noticeable in the staining of clothes. These changes in skin color in areas that are most exposed to the sun and where sweat glands are predominant -especially the cheek, forehead, armpit and genital area- becomes prominent. Again, the color of the nails can take a bluish or brownish appearance.

If stiffness occurs in the bones and muscles around the lungs with this condition, this prevents the expansion of the chest. shortness of breath or difficulty breathing can invite. Again, while many different heart diseases may occur due to many unpredictable reasons; kidney, bladder and prostate stones are also among the most severe consequences of Black Bone.

This disorder, which is more common in certain parts of Slovakia and the Dominican Republic, was seen in an 8-year-old girl in Turkey in 2016.

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In order to slow the progression of this disease, drug treatment is applied in adults, but Provides 100% effect cannot be said completely.

When encountered in childhood, a control at the level of nutrition is developed, with protein restriction effects are tried to be minimized. In addition, light exercises for all age groups can play a role in reducing pain at this point, as it will strengthen the joints by building new muscles.