About Osteoporosis

Kelly_L asked:


My mom just found out that she has osteoporosis. I know that drinking milk with help this condition but she also has diabetes. What would be a good alternative to milk in this case?

Eleanor

Jeff Foster asked:


Osteoporosis is a health condition in which the bone density in the skeletal system is reduced putting you at increased risk for bone fractures and the subsequent morbidity and mortality associated with fractures.

There are several osteoporosis risk factors that are not modifiable, such as being of the female gender, being a member of the Asian or Caucasian race or even having a small and think body frame, but there are many osteoporosis risk factors that you most certainly can do something about.

Osteoporosis risk factors include things such as having a strong family history of osteoporosis. For example if you have a mother who developed a osteoporotic hip fracture then your risk of developing the same immediately just doubled.

If you have a personal history of having a fracture as an adult then you also have a higher history of developing osteoporosis. This is particularly true if you have experienced a fracture that was not easily explained by the extent of the injuries suffered.

Some of the modifiable osteoporosis risk factors include things such as a diet low in calcium, excessive alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and a lack of exercise.

Other osteoporosis risk factors are ones that may or may not be modifiable but certainly require your healthcare provider’s help to best manage. Risk factors such as generally poor health, low estrogen levels, chronic inflammation related to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and hyperthyroidism, as in Grave’s disease, all put you at increased risk for the development of osteoporosis.

Also certain medications can cause osteoporosis. Long-term use of oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone, which is used to reduce the inflammatory process in the body, has long been linked to osteoporosis. They long-term use of Dilantin and Phenobarbital, both anti-seizure medications, has also been linked to osteoporosis risk factors.

So while there are some osteoporosis risk factors that you can do something about there are others that you simply have no choice but to live with. But because of the higher morbidity associated with the development of osteoporosis, it is most certainly in your best interest to modify those risk that you can do something about.



Jeanette

madjules23 asked:


I’m a little worried about osteoporosis. Me being a dancer, and underweight makes me more at risk. So, I am starting to count my calcium intake and i’m making an effort to drink more milk, and eat more dairy etc… but I just can’t give up my Diet Pepsi’s. It’s the only un-healthy thing in my diet. Does it really contribute to osteoporosis? And if it does, how? How can I reverse the damage? I want facts and proof.

Thank you.

Stella

al mond asked:


My wife has this condition and complains about pain from her back down to her foot? Is her osteoporosis causing this?

Heidi

Article Manager asked:


Actonel: Basic Facts

Actonel alters the cycle of bone formation and breakdown in the body. It prevents bone loss and increases bone mass, which may prevent bone fractures. Actonel is used to treat or prevent osteoporosis in men and women and also for curing Paget’s disease of bone. Actonel repels osteoporosis by reducing the activity of the osteoclasts and lessens the calcium loss. It is also used to prevent or treat osteoporosis due to steroid medications and also it is very helpful in the treatment of Paget’s disease where patches of bone become softened and enlarged.

Actonel: Drug Structure

Ingredients included in Actonel are: crospovidone, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide and strength-specific ingredients include: 5 mg-ferric oxide yellow, lactose monohydrate; 30 mg-lactose monohydrate; 35 mg-ferric oxide red, ferric oxide yellow, lactose monohydrate; 75 mg-ferric oxide red.

Actonel: Doses

When a woman is facing her postmenopausal phase Actonel 35 mg Once-a-Week and Actonel 5 mg daily are indicated for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. Actonel 5 mg daily is considered to be the best medicine for prevention of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in men and women. Actonel 5mg and 30mg can be recommended for daily dose while a 35mg tablet can be taken once a week.

These tablets should be taken before 30 minutes of the first food or drink of the day other than water. Do not use coffee, tea, juice, milk, or other dairy products to take the pill. Swallow the tablet whole, do not chew or suck on it. Actonel with stronger strength may be taken only 1 or 2 times each month and dosing schedule must depend on the tablet strength your doctor has prescribed.

Actonel: Side Effects

While Actonel is a very effective medication for osteoporosis, it also has some bad impacts on health as it may cause breathing problems and swelling in skin parts. Below mentioned are some acute side effects of this medicine:

•    new or painful heartburn

•    chest  and body pain

•    pain while swallowing food

•    back pain or burning sensation

•    severe joint, bone, or muscle pain

•    jaw pain, numbness, or swelling

Actonel: Not for Everyone

Actonel is not the part of your medication if you have some serious problems in the stomach or esophagus. Apart from that you may also be prevented to take the Actonel medication if you have:

•    low blood calcium in your blood

•    vitamin D deficiency

•    kidney disease



Vera

preetywoman53 asked:


I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, and degenerative low back disease and hernisted disk and i am supposed to see a orthapedic surgion i do not know if he will do surgeryy on me or what , can anyone give me suggestions i feel i have been put throught the wringer for 6 months thanks alot

Jill

Barney Garcia asked:


Osteoporosis is a bone disease which causes a deterioration of bone density and low bone mass. This is dangerous because is causes the bones to become fragile (especially the hips, spine and wrists) and there is increased risk of broken bones and slow recovery periods. Osteoporosis can affect any bone, but special attention is placed on the hips and spine, because the breaking of these bones can result in long term injury including difficulty walking, hospitalization, deformity, loss of height, severe pain and even death. You should ask your doctor to check you bone density levels yearly, since this disease often has no symptoms at all. When a person finally does experience any symptoms, they are usually so far into the disease that what they are feeling is back pain because of a fractured vertebra.

Women are more likely to contract this disease than men, often due to menopause, in which bone loss increases. One in four women are affected with this disease, while only one in eight men are. Certain people are at a high risk factor for developing this disease however, and you should be cautious if you have any of the following risk factors. Having a personal history of low bone mass, being female, being thin (male or female) having abnormal menstrual periods for women, currently having or have had anorexia nervosa in the past, eating a diet low vitamin D and calcium currently and throughout your life, having an inactive life style, having low testosterone levels in men, being a smoker, being a heavy drinker and being Caucasian or Asian. However, keep in mind that people with these risk factors are not the only people who can get this disease, and all people are at risk and should be checked for the disease regularly.

There are certain things you can do to prevent your risk of developing osteoporosis including consuming a diet rich in vitamin D and calcium, having an active lifestyle and doing weight baring exercises, quitting smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation and taking regular bone density tests. Doctors and health professionals both agree that this is a very preventable disease as long as you take proper care of your health. Even if you start taking these precautions late in life, they will still lower your chance of developing the disease.

For more information, resources, and definitions on diseases please visit http://www.mic.ki.se/Diseases/index.html



Annie

S.S.Chandana asked:


Osteoporosis is a Diffuse reduction in the bone density that leads to weakening of the bone. This weakening may lead to fractures, especially of the spine, hip and wrist.  

The Treatment of Osteoporosis consists of Pharmacological options for managing Osteoporosis and Exercises. Most people are not aware of the great benefits that exercises have to sustain healthy bones. Exercises are safest and effective way of building Bone Mineral Density (BMD). Here you will be reading about various form of exercises which would benefit you. Physical activity has been shown to have a positive effect on bone remodeling. The Exercises are said to stimulate osteoblastic activity and improve BMD (Bone mineral density).

Two types of exercises which are recommended for osteoporotic bones are Weight-bearing and Resistance exercises.

Weight-bearing means your legs and feet are bearing your weight, for e.g. Walking, Stair climbing. Patients should walk 15 to 20 minutes, three to four times a week. Overuse injuries can occur if the patient over trains or due to lack of appropriate rest intervals. Casual walking is usually not enough to improve the BMD. Brisk walking is always the exercise of choice for osteoporosis unless contraindicated. Other weight bearing exercises are jogging, climbing stairs.

Non weight-bearing exercises, such as with bicycle ergo meter can also be done. Patients should gradually increase their exercise session by 1 minute on every other session, until they reach their target length of workout. Don’t use inclines on the treadmill.

Resistance training should involve all major muscle groups. Hip extensions, squats, lumbar extensions, leg presses, arm rowing, bicep curls, wrist curls and chest presses are few exercises which can be included in the resistance training. Perform resistance exercises every third day. Consider direct supervision on a one to one basis from a trained Physical therapist.

Precautions have to be taken while doing exercises. Avoid running, rowing machines, high-impact and high velocity aerobic exercises. Also avoid combining flexion and rotation of trunk in case of osteoporosis of spine to reduce stress of vertebrae and its discs. Don’t do torsional movements of hip during weight bearing activities of lower extremities. Avoid resisted end range movements. Last but not the least all the exercises should be supervised by qualified Physical therapist at least initially.



Ruby

Answer-Me-This asked:


Or is that simply a rumor?

Nellie

Kevin Pederson asked:


It is normal for the bones to erode as we age. But for some people, the bones become so fragile that they break down under the boy’s own weight. This causes hip, spine and forearm fractures. This disease is known as osteoporosis. This disease is more common amongst women then men. This is due to the fact that the women have lighter bones and after menopause, they experience rapid bone loss due to decrease in estrogen. Also women opt for heavy dieting in order to lose weight, where they skip highly nutritious food items. This results in the weaker bones in the body. Men too can suffer from this disease if they smoke, drink or take steroids.

But there is no need to worry. It is possible for you to slow, stop or reverse this bone loss. Though women have used ERT or Estrogen Replacement Therapy to overcome this problem, you can follow the tips below to overcome or prevent this problem.

• Build up your bones: It is highly recommended that you do aerobic exercises for about 20 minutes a day at least three days a week. Exercise has been shown to stimulate bones to lay down new tissues. It is advisable to do the exercise that you can continue doing over the long period of time. Walking is the best form of exercise but you can also choose biking, swimming or aerobics.

• Walk in water: If you have suffered from fracture, walking in water is the best form of exercise. You can do this exercise three times a week for up to 30 minutes a day. The water will support the body weight and ease the stress off the bones and joints.

• Use chair and floor for the exercise: Complement water walking by doing some muscle strengthening exercises like abdominal curls, shoulder blade squeezes and back extensions. You can do these exercises on the chair or on the floor.

• Eat calcium: Doctors recommend that you get about 1000 milligrams of calcium a day, even though you have not yet reached menopause. If you are not getting an ERT treatment, increase your calcium intake by another 200 to 500 milligrams a day. This means that you can drink a quart of skim milk a day or have two cups of low-fat yogurt or four cups of low-fat cottage cheese to get 1000 milligrams. You can take the remaining requirements from supplements.

• Go for maximum absorption: Spread out your calcium supplements throughout the day rather than take all at one go. Eat supplement should be taken with a meal. Doctors recommend you to take the calcium carbonate which is relatively inexpensive and is easily absorbed when taken in divided dosages at the mealtimes.

• Increase your Vitamin D: Get the maximum protection by consuming 400 international units of Vitamin D each day, especially if you do not get enough sunlight. Milk contains about 100 international units of Vitamin D, hence it is recommended that you take four cups a day. But other dairy products like cheese, yogurt etc cannot be taken into account since they are not fortified with Vitamin D. But do not exceed the recommended dosage of 400 international units since this vitamin is highly toxic in excess.

• Eat different types of food products: Bones do not contain calcium alone but contain an amalgam of boron, zinc and copper along with other minerals. You can get these trace elements by eating variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and other unprocessed foods.

• Stop smoking: Smoking has been shown to accelerate bone loss. It accelerates the rate at which the body metabolizes estrogen and thus canceling the benefits of ERT. It has been shown to cause bone loss in men and postmenopausal women too.

• Control your medicines: Some drugs have been shown to hasten bone loss. The most common types of drugs are corticosteroids taken for variety of conditions like rheumatic, allergic and respiratory disorders, L-thyroxine a thyroid medicine and furosemide which is a diuretic used against fluid retention associated with high blood pressure and kidney problems.

• Avoid fizzy drinks: Cola and other carbonated soft drinks contain phosphoric acid, which contains phosphorus which is a mineral when taken in excess causes your body to excrete calcium.

• Ease salt intake: Excess intake of salt throws the calcium out of the body. Hence do not include salt more than necessary. Avoid processed and junk foods.



Chester