Osteoporosis

Disclaimer: Not medical or professional advice. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease that reduces bone density. It causes the bones to become porous and fragile as the amount of bone matrix starts to decrease. People with osteoporosis can have a fracture due to minor trauma, strong shaking, heavy lifting, and even their own weight.

The term Osteoporosis literally means Porous Bone or Bones with Holes. According to the World Health Organization, osteoporosis ranks fourth place among noninfectious pathologies after cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and diabetes mellitus.

Osteoporosis is more common in women than in men. Of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, more than 8 million (or 80%) are women. This is because women usually have thinner and less dense bones than men. People lose bone density as they age, especially women due to hormonal changes during menopause.

Osteoporosis Overview

Symptoms of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis has no obvious clinical manifestations until there is a fracture. Symptoms of a bone fracture are usually pain, swelling, redness, and loss of function in the injured area.

In some cases, fractures can go unnoticed. For example, vertebral compression fractures occur under the influence of body weight. The vertebrae cannot support the load and become flat.

How to Identify Osteoporosis Before Fractures Occur?

A person develops back pain and back tenderness on palpation.
Chronic muscle tension in the back, noticeable mobility limitations (trouble bending, turning, or twisting the body).
Sudden stooped or hunched posture (Scheuermann-Mau disease) and exaggerated inward curving of the lumbar spine (lordosis), as well as unexpected abdominal skin folds.
Symptoms of later-stage osteoporosis include loss of height ( decrease in vertebral column height).
A noticeable narrowing of the distance between the lower ribs and the iliac crest.
Receding gums and rapid tooth decay.

If you are showing early signs of the disease, you should seek medical attention. Doctors recommend that middle-aged women and elderly people of both sexes undergo densitometry (a bone density test) every two years.

Causes of Osteoporosis

Bones constantly undergo two opposite processes, i.e. bone formation and destruction (bone resorption). The formation of new bone tissue requires a building material whose production involves a complicated process.

Proteins, carbohydrates, fats (the main building material and source of energy), minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, which contribute to bone density, enter the body through the gastrointestinal tract. The endocrine system is involved in the regulation of metabolism and the intensity of the processes of bone formation and resorption.
Kidneys produce active forms of vitamins that help in building bones.
Healthy muscles accelerate bone growth.
Hence, the development of osteoporosis can result from a number of diseases that affect the proper functioning of one of these systems.
Who Is At Risk for Developing Osteoporosis?
Menopausal women. According to statistics, osteoporosis affects one in three women during menopause. Besides, the risk factors, in this case, include low body weight.
Genes. If one of the parents had a hip fracture, there is an increased risk of fracture in children.
Men older than 50 years. One in five men over 50 has a fracture due to decreased bone mass. About one-third of all osteoporotic fractures in the world are recorded in men between 50 to 65 years old.
Smoking and alcohol drinking. Smoking leads to hypoxia, the development of obstructive pulmonary disease, and alcohol has a toxic effect on the digestive system. Therefore, people who drink alcohol have impaired absorption of vitamins and nutrients necessary to maintain bone density.
Age. The older you get, the greater your risk of osteoporosis. The world population is aging more quickly due to increased life expectancy. As a result, it leads to an increase in the 50 years and over age group, susceptible to osteoporosis.
The disease can be triggered by long-term medication. For example, long-term (more than 3 months) use of glucocorticoids for lung diseases and arthritis. Other drugs such as immunosuppressants, high doses of thyroid hormones, some antipsychotic drugs, long-term use of heparin, antiepileptic drugs are considered dangerous.

How to Prevent Osteoporosis?

One of the best ways to prevent weak bones is to work on building strong ones.
Ask your doctor how much calcium and vitamin D you need to take daily.
Choose vigorous-intensity activities. For example, running or dancing.
Do not smoke. Smoking increases the risk of bone fractures.
Try to cut down on alcohol. Drinking alcoholic drinks disrupt the body's metabolism.
Talk to your doctor about whether you need medicine to prevent bone loss.