What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis which means porous bone is a medical condition in which the body loses too much bone or the bone loses density thereby becoming weak. This could lead to bone fracture. This condition mostly affects bones in the hip, the wrist of the spine.
Symptoms of Osteoporosis
Symptoms are not noticeable in the early stages until a bone fracture occurs. However, there are salient pointers that you should watch out for:
- Pain in the lower back.
- Bone fractures
- Loss of height
- A bent posture
Causes of Osteoporosis
The bone is a living tissue that is constantly being replaced. Just like a cell that dies and a new one replaces the old one, an old bone is broken down and a new one is formed. Below the age range of 20 – 30 years, new bones are formed faster than the old ones are broken down. After that age range, bone breakdown occurs faster than b bone-forming and bone breakdown.
Some factors play a major role in the development of osteoporosis with certain factors that ate fixed and other factors that can be mitigated.
Women: Osteoporosis affects women more than it affects men. After menopause at an early age, there is a faster rate of bone breakdown than bone-forming. This might be a result of reduced estrogen.
Men: Even though women are at more risk than men, men who have low testosterone stand at risk of developing the condition
Age: The older you get the greater the chances of developing osteoporosis.
Bodyweight: Thin and small people are at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis as compared to people with more bodyweight.
Low calcium: The deficiency of calcium in the body increases one’s risk of getting osteoporosis be it a man or woman. The fundamental nutrient needed for bone development is calcium and the absence of calcium leads to bone density.
Inactive lifestyle: Spending a lot of time sitting or being inactive are at higher risk than active people.
Thyroid: An overactive thyroid can cause bone loss.
Diagnosis of Osteoporosis
The bone mineral density (BMD) test is a test designed to check for osteoporosis. A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan is the standard for measuring bone density. But before going for a BMD test, a doctor might conduct a physical examination by checking current height against past heights, recommend blood tests like thyroid function test, testosterone test, and blood calcium test to rule out medical conditions like a parathyroid and overactive thyroid.
Prevention and treatment of Osteoporosis
Regular exercises, eating balanced diets especially those containing calcium and vitamin D can aid in preventing osteoporosis.
Medications grouped into several classes are used to treat osteoporosis. Treatment is not general rather it is personalized to meet and suit the patient. The best treatment is the treatment plan fitted to your condition and the causes. Such treatment includes:
- Anabolic agents
- Hormone-related therapy.
To speak to our docto about osteoporosis and symptoms that are affecting you, you can reach out by calling or sending a WhatsApp message to: 0808111121.