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Skeletal fluorosis in relation to drinking water, nutritional status and living habits in rural areas of Maharashtra, IndiaExcerpt:
The present study was carried out during May 2010 to December 2011 in three villages which were randomly selected from Warora tehsil of Chandrapur district which is one of the endemic district of Maharashtra. . . . All the presently available ground water samples were collected and the mean fluoride concentration was estimated by the ion analyser method, varied from 0.73 to 2.80 mg/L compared to the recommended maximum permissible limit of 1.5 mg/L.
As seen in Table 5 a high prevalence of skeletal fluorosis was observed from habitual users of black tea and tobacco [11.91% – 19.85%] whereas a relatively very low prevalence [3.72% – 7.1%] of fluorosis was observed among non-users. . . . Over 90% of the people affected with severe fluorosis belongs to the low socio-economic status and they had generalized nutritional deficiencies.
In the present clinical examination it was observed that the most common symptoms joint pain (35.75%), back pain (29.01%) and other symptoms like tingling and numbing of extremities, shoulder pain, neck pain and stiffness are the symptoms of skeletal fluorosis. Earlier investigators found that back pain (68%), joint pain (22%), pain or stiffness in the backbone and hip (16.2%) and pain or stiffness in joints and backbone (15.5%) and back pain (73%) and neck pain (34%). The common symptoms are pain in the neck and back associated with rigidity, joint pains and paraesthesia of the limb.