Osteoporosis
By: Tsou JinyeuTotal Views: 161, Word Count: 536,
Osteoporosis is a disease that leads to an increased risk of bone fractures. The bone density is drastically reduced and basic bone structure is disrupted. It alters the amount and variety of non- collagenous proteins in the bone. In case of women, osteoporosis means when the mineral density is below the standard 2.5 deviation below the peak bone mass. Established osteoporosis means presence of a fragile fracture. It is mostly seen in women after menopause. In case of men, it may be due to some hormonal disorder, medication, or some chronic disease. When it is due to glucocorticoids it is termed as glucocorticoid induced osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects the quality of life and life expectancy if you consider the risk it creates for fragility fracture.
Causes of Osteoporosis
1. Low bone mass or osteopenia if not treated timely may develop Osteoporosis
2. Fragile body is more prone to Osteoporosis as it fails to form enough new bone
3. Lack of calcium in diet results in poor bone production and as a result bone tissues suffer
4. With old age, calcium and phosphate are reabsorbed in the body making the bone tissues weak that result in fragile bones
5. Osteoporosis is also caused in women due to sudden drop in estrogen during menopause
6. Drop in testosterone is the cause of Osteoporosis in men
7. Drinking large amounts of alcohol and smoking
8. Other causes are Cushing syndrome, hyperthyroidism, etc
Osteoporosis Symptoms
There are no visible symptoms in the early stages of Osteoporosis. However later you may see some symptoms.
1. Tenderness in bones
2. Pain in bone
3. Fractures with little trauma
4. Loss of height
5. Fractures in the spinal bones and pain in lower back
6. Pain in neck
7. Stooped posture
Osteoporosis Treatment -The goals of treating Osteoporosis can be classified as:
1. Control the pain
2. Stop or slow the bone loss
3. Strengthen the bones
4. Prevent bone fracture with help of medicines
5. Minimize falls and prevent fractures
Different treatment for osteoporosis is available. Consult your doctor and determine the one that suites you.
Hormone therapy is done in most cases of osteoporosis as they are linked. Bisphosphonates preserve bones. They are also used to inhibit breakdown of bones and increase bone density. It is used in cases where there is steroid induced osteoporosis. They are also used to prevent osteoporosis where the patient is taking treatment for asthma or arthritis.
Raloxifene is selective estrogen receptor modulator. It mimics estrogen and improves bone density of postmenopausal women. Calcitonin slows the rate of bone loss and also relieves bone pain. Parathyroid hormone (teriparatide) is used to treat osteoporosis in case of postmenopausal women. It is in the form of daily shots and can be given at home.
Osteoporosis Exercise reduces the likelihood of bone fractures. You can do the following and avoid any exercise that has a risk of falling.
1. Weight bearing exercises like walking, jogging, dancing
2. Resistance exercise like stretches, free weights, weigh machines
3. jogging
Follow a diet rich in calcium like milk and milk products.
This article on osteoporosis deals with Osteoporosis, Causes of Osteoporosis, Osteoporosis Symptoms, Osteoporosis Treatment, Osteoporosis Exercise, treatment for osteoporosis.
About the Author
Dr. Tsou Jinyeu is a well known gynecologist and has been in this field since 1995. His special interests are – genetic and birth defects, high risk obstetrics, lupus in pregnancy, premature labour, premature delivery, triplets and ultrasound diagnosis. He is graduated from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Nowdays he is working as a medical doctor at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health
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