About Osteoporosis

Mitchell Adams asked:


Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease in which the bones become brittle and prone to breaking. Though osteoporosis affects all bones in the body, of particular concern are fractures of the spine and hip. A spinal fracture or a fracture of the hip can have devastating consequences ranging from excruciating pain in the back or hip, temporary or permanent immobility, deformity in the bone structure and even death.

Osteoporosis can be prevented to a large extent if the proper precautions are taken at the proper time. A healthy lifestyle that promotes strong bones, particularly before the age of thirty is the best defense against osteoporosis. While the further progress of osteoporosis can be managed to a certain extent, there is no permanent cure.

Here’s what you can do to protect your bones and yourself from getting osteoporosis. Remember all four steps work in conjunction with each other and each of them is equally important in the fight against osteoporosis.

1. Make sure you get your recommended daily dose of Calcium. Bones need calcium, to grow and to stay strong. Not getting sufficient calcium can be a major factor in the development of osteoporosis.

2. Vitamin D, which is got from direct sunlight as well as from egg yolks, fortified milk and liver, is used by the body to enhance absorption of calcium. Lack of vitamin D inhibits the body’s ability to extract and absorb calcium from foods. Vitamin D3, also called cholecalciferol, is the form of vitamin D that is ideal for health of the bones.

3. Weight bearing exercises, including walking, jogging, stair climbing, hiking and dancing are hugely beneficial to the bones. Individuals who exercised regularly during childhood and adolescence are more likely to have denser bones.

4. Tobacco leaches the calcium from the bones. A healthy lifestyle that includes no smoking or excessive alcohol is a great way of taking care of your bones.

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Harold

Corwin Brown asked:


Osteoporosis is accelerated bone loss. Normally, there is loss of bone mass with aging, perhaps 0.7% per year in adults. However, bone loss is greater in women past menopause than in men of the same age. The process of bone remodelling from resorption to matrix synthesis to mineralization normally takes about 8 months–a slow but constant process. Bone in older persons just isn’t as efficient as bone in younger persons at maintaining itself–there is decreased activity of osteoblasts and decreased production of growth factors and bone matrix.

Osteoporosis causes, diagnosis, symptoms, risk factors, prevention, and treatment. Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to weaken, become brittle and more easily breakable. The osteoporosis disease process can be silent (without symptoms) for decades. It’s a harse reality that the drugs we take to treat arthritis, especially the corticosteroids, also wreak havoc on our bones.

Osteoporosis occurs when the resorption causes the bones to reach a fracture threshold (the point at which they are likely to break when subjected to a modest stress, such as falling). A fall, blow or lifting action that would not normally bruise or strain the average person can easily break one or more bones in someone with severe osteoporosis.

Symptoms of Osteoporosis

Bone pain is seen less commonly than joint pain and muscle pain. The source of bone pain may be obvious, as in a fracture following an accident. Or it may be more subtle, such as cancer that spreads (metastasizes) to the bone.

Hip fractures typically occur as a result of a fall. With osteoporosis, hip fractures can occur as a result of trivial accidents. Hip fractures may also be difficult to heal after surgical repair because of poor bone quality.

An abnormally curved upper back, or dowager’s hump, develops when the bones of the upper spine (vertebrae) become thin and brittle (known as osteoporosis) and collapse on each other. Having collapsed vertebrae in any part of the spine results in a loss of height.

The appearance of the widow’s hump or a fractured wrist or hip from a fall may be the first actual symptoms of osteoporosis unless your doctor has been measuring your bone density. Men also should watch for a loss of height, change in posture or sudden back pain. There are a number of risk factors that increase a person’s likelihood of having osteoporosis.

Pain, disfigurement, and debilitation are common in the latter stages of the disease. Early spinal compression fractures may go undetected for a long time, but after a large percentage of calcium has been lost, the vertebrae in the spine start to collapse, gradually causing a stooped posture called kyphosis, or a “dowager’s hump.” Although this is usually painless, patients may lose as much as 6 inches in height.

Causes of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis occurs when an imbalance occurs between new bone formation and old bone resumption. The body may fail to form enough new bone, or too much old bone may be reabsorbed, or both.

The strength of your bones depends on their size and density; bone density depends in part on the amount of calcium, phosphorus and other minerals bones contain. When your bones contain fewer minerals than normal, they’re less strong and eventually lose their internal supporting structure.

The leading cause of osteoporosis is a lack of certain hormones, particularly estrogen in women and androgen in men. Women, especially those older than 60 years, are frequently diagnosed with the disease. Menopause brings lower estrogen levels and increases a woman’s risk for osteoporosis. Other factors that may contribute to bone loss in this age group include inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, lack of weight-bearing exercise, and other age-related changes in endocrine functions (in addition to lack of estrogen).

Larry

Sonya asked:


What are some of the warning sings and symptoms & How can you prevent it? I’m 15 and I have low estrogen levels which makes you at higher risk of getting Osteoporosis, and lately my knees have been feeling achey and weak. How can I prevent from getting it?

Rhonda

Chima Njoku asked:


For decades, we’ve known that a woman’s risk of osteoporosis increases if she is white or Asian, 50 years or older, thin or have small frame, consume diet low in calcium and vitamin D, smoke, or drink too much alcohol. What was not known until recently is how fast and widespread bone loss occur in postmenopausal women. New statistics have medical experts scrambling for answers.

In United States, osteoporosis and low bone mass are now believed to be a major public health threat for 44 million Americans aged 50 and older. By 2010, that number is expected to increase to over 52 million. Nearly half of all women and a quarter of men aged 50 and older will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture in their remaining lifetime.

Currently, the disease affects an estimated ten million Americans – eight million women and two million men. Another 34 million Americans, most of whom are women, have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk of osteoporosis. In addition, osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million fractures, and the direct health care costs associated with these fractures are estimated at $18 billion per year. That’s right; billion with a “B”.

Hip fractures account for 300, 000 hospitalizations each year. About 20% of senior citizens who suffer a hip fracture die within a year of sustaining the fracture, and another 20% of all hip-fracture patients will be in a nursing home within one year. These numbers are worrisome, to say the least.

Although there is no clear explanation for this upsurge in the incidence of osteoporosis among older women, poor diets and sedentary lifestyle are suspected to play a role. In fact, a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey concluded that many Americans particularly women, ethnic minorities, and the socially disadvantaged are not meeting the current recommendations for adequate calcium and vitamin D intake through diet alone or with calcium and vitamin D supplements.

Another factor implicated in the steep rise in osteoporosis cases is too much coffee drinking among older women. There is growing evidence that caffeine decreases blood calcium levels by increasing calcium excretion in urine, and this increases the risks of fracture and osteoporosis. In a study published in 2001, for example, postmenopausal women who consumed 300 milligrams of caffeine a day lost more bone mass in the spine compared to women who consumed less than 300 milligrams a day.

So, is there something a woman can do to slow down bone loss? Many experts believe that the results of these new surveys amount to a wake-up call to all women to take immediate steps to protect themselves against the debilitation of osteoporosis. The current health advice is that older women should begin by ensuring that they meet their daily calcium and vitamin D requirements through diet alone or with supplements.

They should also get regular weight-bearing exercise. Examples of exercises that provide bone health benefits include walking, jogging, racket sports, dancing, stir climbing, and skating. For bone health, any physical activity that puts stress or strain on bone will help strengthen the bone and increase its density. On the other hand, exercises such as biking and swimming may not provide the same benefits because, during these exercises, the bone is supported rather than being put under stress.

Of course, older women must take care of smoking. In addition to having a negative effect on a woman’s bones, there is a number of health problems associated with smoking. Cigarette smoke produces toxins in the body and increases a person’s risk for chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

The bottom line is that numbers do not lie, and the current numbers for osteoporosis suggest a silent epidemic among postmenopausal women. However, older women should not feel helpless; there are steps they can take to fight back. These steps include getting enough calcium and vitamin D, getting a regular weight-bearing exercise, moderating coffee drinking, and avoiding smoking. But, they must get going. The time is now; tomorrow may be too late.

Marvin

Rubyee2 asked:


What are you taking for your osteoporosis and how long have you been taking it

Eddie

micheal.giovoni asked:


I have heard that it merely calcifies on bone is this true?

Tammy

Jools141 asked:


A friend of mine - only 45yr old has this condition what weight-bearing exercises should she be doing?

Carla

james sameul asked:


Treatment of OsteoporosisOsteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine, and wrist.Osteoporosis is a disease of bone that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced, bone micro architecture is disrupted, and the amount and variety of non-collage nous proteins in bone is altered. Osteoporosis is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in women as a bone mineral density 2.5 standard deviations below peak bone mass (20-year-old healthy female average) as measured by DXA;Risk factors of OsteoporosisAge. The older you get, the higher your risk of osteoporosis. Your bones become weaker as you age.Race. You’re at greatest risk of osteoporosis if you’re white or of Southeast Asian descent. Black and Hispanic men and women have a lower, but still significant, risk.Sex. Osteoporosis is more common in women than men. Eighty percent, or four out of five, of the 10 million Americans who have it are women. There are several reasons for this. Women have lighter, thinner bones to begin with. They also lose loose bone rapidly after menopause.The factors that may contribute to osteoporosis are not well defined. For example, studies by the U.S. National Institute of Child and Human Development (NICHD) have shown that irregular menstrual periods in young women may signal a hormonal shortage that could lead to osteoporosis. Symptoms of OsteoporosisOsteoporosis is often called the “silent disease”, because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a bone to fracture or a vertebra to collapse. However, there may be a chronic, dull pain particularly in the lower back or neck, which may become sharp later in the course of the disease.Later in the course of the disease, sharp pains may come on suddenly. It may not radiate; it may be made worse by activity that puts weight on the area, may be tender, and generally begins to subside in 1 week. Pain may linger more than 3 months.Treatment of OsteoporosisAlthough osteoporosis has no cure, several types of medications are available to reduce the rate of bone loss, increase bone density, and reduce the number of fractures. In general, they work in two main ways: they lessen bone break down (anti-resorptive agents) or they stimulate the formation of new bone (anabolic agents). Hormone therapyHormone therapy (HT) was once the mainstay of treatment for osteoporosis. But because of concerns about its safety and because other treatments are available, the role of hormone therapy in managing osteoporosis is changing. Most problems have been linked to certain oral types of HT, either taken in combination with progestin or alone.In addition, it is important to get enough vitamin D. A daily intake of 400 IU, but no more than 800 IU, each day is recommended. Obtaining adequate amounts of vitamin D from our food may be difficult. The main sources of dietary vitamin D are fortified milk (100 IU/cup), egg yolks (25 IU/yolk) and oily fish (vitamin D content varies).

Donna

Jeff Foster asked:


Diagnosing Osteoporosis - Solving The Broken Bones Mystery

Osteoporosis can occur when there is a loss of bone density and strength due to a variety of factors.

Osteoporosis may be related to aging, certain types of medications, or other health related conditions. A diagnosis of osteoporosis is often made while diagnosing a fracture.

It is important that osteoporosis is diagnosed early so that accurate and aggressive treatment management can occur in order to reach the best outcome.

Not only the financial cost but the health costs associated with a missed diagnosis of or even an inaccurate diagnosis of osteoporosis can be very high. The health consequences associated with an inaccurate or omitted diagnosis of osteoporosis can be seen for years to come.

When initially diagnosed saying osteoporosis, your physician must make the determination of whether the osteoporosis is a primary or secondary diagnosis. Primary osteoporosis means it that the diagnosis is a stand-alone diagnosis, meaning that there is no other health issue that is causing it.

However, with a secondary diagnosis of osteoporosis this means that there is another health condition which is causing the osteoporosis. Some other health conditions which can lead to a secondary diagnosis of osteoporosis include conditions such as multiple myeloma, lymphoma, diabetes, Cushing’s disease, hyperthyroidism, osteogenesis imperfecta, and even Marfan’s syndrome.

The best medical test on today’s market for diagnosing osteoporosis is the DEXA scan. Considered the gold standard by many healthcare providers, the DEXA scan is completely painless for patients and only takes about 10 minutes to perform. The scan uses limited amounts of radiation to scan the bones of the wrist, the spine or the hip to assess general bone density.

This can help your physician to make a definitive diagnosis of osteoporosis as well as help your physician to determine if compared to others in your age and gender control group you have a higher risk of developing an osteoporosis related fracture.

Diagnosing osteoporosis is a fairly straightforward procedure that your general healthcare provider can handle. But even though it is an easy diagnosis to make, it is one that is critical to your overall health.

So as you age and particularly if you are female or if you have other health conditions that put you at risk for osteoporosis, make sure that you work closely with your physician to make sure that you are appropriately screened for osteoporosis.

Diagnosing osteoporosis is one diagnosis that you can’t afford for your healthcare provider to miss.

Christopher

luvbrd81 asked:


My husband’s grandmother has Scoliosis Of The Spine , which she heard can be taken care of by a chiropractor with some kind of decompression of the spine. But, she also has Osteoporosis, and heard from someone else that any kind of chiropractic procedure is terrible for people with Osteoporosis. Is this true?
Ooops…sorry, its Stenosis of the spine! Does that make a difference?

Elsie