What is Osteoporosis? health risks, prevention and management of Osteoporosis.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition which causes a weakening of bone density (bone strength, weak bones ). This condition causes the bones to become fragile i.e. prone to fractures, especially the pelvic/hip bones, spine and wrists. Osteoporosis can affect any bone group, but it becomes more risky when it affects hips and spinal (backbone), 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. If you are feeling loss of strength and feel debility for period longer than a week, you should get your bone density levels checked. This disease often has no symptoms at all on onset. People only experience its symptoms when they are severely affected by bone mass and already suffering with back pain because of a fractured vertebra.
Diagnosis
Osteoporosis can develop without any symptoms and mainly depends on life style, diet and genetic bone structure you receive from your parents. Women are more vulnerable to this condition than men as they have lesser bone density then the males. Women nearing menopause in mid forties or fifties have every reason to get themselves medical advise on their bone density scale. Persons with inactive life styles, who are underweight or are under any medical therapy like with NASIDs and more risk of getting this condition if they are on steroidal drug therapy. Osteoporosis is diagnosed with the help of bone imaging/scanning machine popularly known as DEXA Scan. Body Mass Index is also considered (BMI) as part of diagnosis of muscular-skeletal health.
Risk Factors
Women are more vulnerable to this disease than men, often due to menopause, in which bone loss increases due to sudden change in estrogen hormone levels. One in four women in mid forties are affected with this disease, while only one in eight men are. Certain people are at a high risk factor for developing this disease. If a person has medical history of low bone mass, being female, being thin (male or female) having abnormal menstrual periods for women, eating a low vitamin D and calcium diet with an inactive life style, having low testosterone levels in men, being a smoker, being a heavy drinker puts him/her on reach of this disease then others.
Prevention
Osteoporosis onset (risk of developing osteoporosis) can be prevented by following a set pattern of life style which includes 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. This is a very preventable(avoidable) 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.
Management of Osteoporosis and Treatment
Once the osteoporesis sets in the patient becomes prone to fractures. The treatment only helps in preventing further loss of bone mass, and helps in bringing patient’s bone density to a level where fracture risks are further minimal but it can not at all reach natural bone density level. Alendronate drug to treat Osteoporosis has been developed in recent years by NASA’s medical research professionals (with drug compund name A11) for curing osteoporetic condition of astronauts. NASA developed a bio-phosphate and named it A11 which is now available in your local medical store with Alendronate name. If you have been diagnosed with Osteopenia or Osteoporotic condition then check with your Osteopathic doctor whether he is treating your condition with bio-phosphates or not. Only you Physician/doctor can calculate what dosage of this bio-phosphate is suitable for your condition. Hormone therapy is also advised for faster and optimal recovery of bone density. Be aware that treatment of Osteoporosis is different for males and females. Women suffering with menopausal condition are treated along with hormone therapy with estrogen etc. An optimal dose of calcium and vitamin D is also coupled with bio-phosphate therapy. Blood Calcium level should be monitored regularly on weekly basis as high blood calcium and cause heart problem like cardiac arrest etc.
This is just a basic information for you to know about week bones i.e Osteoporosis condition. If you feel you are at risk of getting week bones condition then consult an orthopedic doctor in a medical center in/near your local area for a personal checkup. For further reading you can check medical resource available at WebMD and Health On Net Foundation
Related Study :
Alendronate in the Treatment of Primary Hyperparathyroid-Related Osteoporosis