Osteoporosis is a disease that thins bones and makes them more likely to fracture. Referred to as the "silent disease," it goes undetected for years, often making its presence known only after a fracture — typically from minor falls or everyday activities such as bending over and coughing. The most frequent breaks occur in the hip, wrist or spine.
Bone is a living tissue that goes through the cycle of resorption followed by regeneration. Osteoporosis is a condition in which the creation of new bone fails to keep up with the loss of oldbone, making bones weak and brittle. It is present in people of all ages, and background but some are at higher risk than others. It happens especially in postmenopausal women, and people with a few lifestyle factors or pre-existing conditions are at an increased risk.
Osteoporosis: This article discusses the reasons, risk factors, complications and prevention of osteoporosis so you can better understand what it is and how to avoid it.
Causes of Osteoporosis
Bones Are Living Tissues That Turn Over Constantly When you are younger, new bone is added faster than old bone being removed causing bones to grow and become denser till around your early 30s -that is peak bone mass- then after that the process of renewing loses gradually outpaces. With time, the loss of bone becomes faster than gain on a continuous rate leading to development of osteoporosis.
The amount of bone mass a person builds during youth affects the likelihood that he or she will develop osteoporosis. Peak bone mass depends on genetic and ethnic factors. Having higher peak bone mass means having more of a reserve bank account — which can be drawn upon later in life, and helps protect you from developing osteoporosis.
Symptoms
During the early stages of osteoporosis, often referred to as a “silent” disease, there are typically no symptoms. In fact, many do not even know they have it until their bones break. Nevertheless, the disease may become more apparent over time and a couple of hallmark symptoms can show up.
- Back Pain: If a fracturing or collapsed vertebra in the spine is damaged then this can cause yell low anterior hip pain.
- A short stature: As spinal bones lose strength and collapse, the vertebrae in your spine may break down.
- Kyphosis: Kyphosis, or stooped posture is a preventable outcome of spinal fractures.
- Fragile bones: Bones that carry out very easily than expected, often from minor stress are the essential sign of osteoporosis.
If any of the above symptoms are observed, then it is important to consult a Medical professional especially when there are other risk factors at play.
Risk Factors
Osteoporosis risk factorsA number of things can raise the odds that you will develop osteoporosis. However, these can be divided into non-modifiable and modifiable risks.
Non-Modifiable Risk Factors
However, there are some risks which cannot be controlled by a given individual:
Sex: Women have a higher chance than men to develop osteoporosis.
age: the risk increases as one grows older.
Two Important Risk Factors That Determine Who Gets OsteoporosisSex: Being female increases your risk for developing osteoperosis.Family history of thin or weak bones.configureTestingModule 2Configuration3 RaceIndividuals who are white or Asian, especially those whose relatives suffered from the disease prior to age 45, have a much higher chance themselves.
Family History: If a parent or sibling in your family has osteoporosis, you are at higher risk. The most extreme example is having a parent who had a hip fracture.
Also If you have a smaller body frame: People with a more petite build tend to also weigh less throughout life and therefore may not ever accumulate as much bone mass, making them at greater risk for osteoporosis later in life.
Hormonal Factors
It is a fact that hormonal changes are deeply involved in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis. Known hormonal conditions that may increase the risk include:
- Sex hormones: Lower estrogen levels—most significantly during or after menopause—in women is a primary risk factor. The same is true for prostate cancer treatments that lower testosterone in men and breast cancer treatments that reduce estrogen levels women.
- Thyroid Problems: Too much thyroid hormone, -- whether from an overactive thryoid or taking excessive amounts of thyroid medication-- can cause bone loss.
Osteoporosis has been associated with a couple of other glandular problems that have to do with the parathyroid and adrenal glands.
Dietary Factors
Adequate nutrition can drastically decrease the odds of osteoporosis. These are the main dietary risk factors :
- Chronic Calcium Deficiency: A shortfall in calcium, a major building block of bone tissue can lead to thinning bones and an increased risk for fracture.
- Eating Disorders: Less food means poor bone health in both men and women.
- Gastrointestinal Surgery: weight loss surgeries that reduce the size of the stomach or bypass part of the intestine can result in less nutrient (even essential minerals like calcium) being absorbed.
Medications
Medications: Bone loss can result from overuse of certain medications, particularly if those are long-term. These include:
Corticosteroids: Steroid medications such as prednisone and cortisone are pound-for-pound the worst for inhibiting rebuilding of bone.
Medicines that treat other conditions : Drugs used to control seizures, gastric reflux and some cancers increase the likelihood of osteoporosis as do treatments following a transplant.
- Medical Conditions
- The risk factor of having osteoporosis may be caused by a health condition you already have.
- Celiac Disease
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Kidney or Liver Disease
- Cancer
- Multiple Myeloma
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Lifestyle Choices
Other lifestyle factors that contribute to osteoporosis_playerswigent/Pixabay These include:
Lack of Physical Activity: People who sit around a lot or do other sedentary activities will lose bone.
Alcohol and Osteoporosis: Drinking more than two alcoholic drinks per day has been associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis.
Smoking: The exact mechanism is unclear, but we know smoking has a weakening effect on bones over time.
Complications
Fractures, especially in the hip and spine can cause some of the most severe complications that come with osteoporosis. There are the hip fractures, caused by falls and frequently associated with long-term disability (up to 50% of cases) or toward mortality in extreme situations. Hip fractures are extremely hard to recover from, especially for the elderly and it can have a huge impact on their quality of life.
Fractures of Spine can happen without even falling. Weakening of bones in the spine can cause them to collapse (crumble), which can result in a hunched posture, loss of height and/or severe pain. These vertebral fractures can lead to long-term effects on mobility and independence.
Prevention Strategies
Although it is normal to lose bone as you age, there are several methods people can easily adopt now that will help them maintain healthy bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Nutrition
A healthy diet that provides your body with key nutrients is crucial to preventing osteoporosis. Calcium and vitamin D are especially important for bone health.
- Calcium: Men and women under 50 should have about 4 to go with1,000 milligrams calcium daily; that number jumps to around5 from birth to age 13 after your late teens. Calcium-rich foods and supplements incorporate low-fat dairy products; dark, green leafy vegetables including soybeans plus other beans crimson meats, fish fruit juice.then soymilk.
- Vitamin D: This nutrient helps the body digest calcium and is beneficial to bones. Although sunlight is a natural source, healthy dietary sources could include fortified milk or the fish such as salmon. There are supplements for those who may not get enough through diet or sunlight.
Exercise
It is important to exercise your bones! Activities such as walking, running or stair climbing improve the strength of bones in the legs, hips and spine. Strength training also focuses on using bones in the arms and upper spine.
It is always a good idea, specially for the elderly or those who are at risk of fractures due to falls. The balance exercises such as Tai Chi on this site can be used with... To realize maximal benefits of exercise in bone health, it needs to be incorporated into daily routines.
Conclusion
Osteoporosis is a major health concern, leading to fractures that may have a life-changing impact on elderly individuals. Although risk factors for osteoporosis are varied, adopting a healthy lifestyle in conjunction with regular bone density screenings can mitigate any further loss of crucial mineral-containing tissue throughout the body.
