Man reveals harsh reality of living with rare disease that causes broken bones when he sneezes
A man who lives with a rare disease affecting his bones has opened up about his life and how something as simple as sneezing can result in an injury.
Joe Hall, from the US, took to Reddit to share his unusual experiences after being diagnosed with the condition which is inherited from birth.
Called Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), the condition is also known as 'brittle bone disease' and results in soft bones which can easily fracture, as well as bones that are not formed as normal.
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In his post, Joe explained that he has 'always tried to live [his] life as fully as possible', but there are some aspects of his condition that have caused issue over the years.
There are eight different types of OI, each varying in severity, of which Joe has type three - the most severe type in babies who don’t die as newborns, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
As a result, Joe has never walked and stopped growing at around three feet tall. He uses an electric wheelchair to get around, is partially deaf and has low respiratory functions.
Over the course of his life, Joe has estimated that he's had around 250 broken bones - but it's such a common occurrence for him that he's admitted he doesn't 'really keep count'.
In an effort to raise awareness for the condition, Joe shared his post as an 'ask me anything', prompting Reddit users to share questions about his experience.
One user asked Joe what kind of 'pressure' would be needed on his body to result in a break, to which Joe revealed that in the past he has 'fractured many ribs just by coughing or sneezing'.
However, he noted that his bones are less brittle now than when he was younger, so it now 'takes a lot more than that'.
Joe also described 'coughing or sneezing' as the 'most innocuous thing' that's caused him to break a bone.
However, while his condition has meant he's had a lot of broken bones in his time, Joe revealed that a 'very smart doctor' told his parents to treat him as 'normal as possible'.
"Act as if I wasn't special and have the same expectations from me that they had for my sisters. I think that was the best possible advice they could have gotten," Joe said.
"As a result I now live independently and have a successful career."
As well as raising awareness for OI, Joe is currently working to raise money for the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation's biennial national conference, which you can donate towards here.
Emily Brown