Are you a person who’s always suffering from a backache? Have you recently undergone a spine or hip fracture? Are your friends and family constantly pointing out that you are developing a stooped posture? Well, these are some of the most prominent symptoms of a certain medical condition of the bones known as osteoporosis. In simpler terms, this is a condition wherein your bones become weak and brittle, thus elevating the risk of broken bones and fractures. This condition of thinning of the bones usually results in painful fractures, and it isn’t until such unfortunate incidents happen, that people understand the gravity of the situation.
Osteoporosis is a medical condition of the bone, which develops when the bone density is diminishing substantially. The body starts to absorb more bone tissue and in turn produces a lesser amount to replace it. In simpler terms, it occurs when the creation of a new bone can’t keep up with the loss of an old one. Due to this reason, the bones of the body start to become weaker and porous; thus elevating the risk of fractures. These fractures are most probable to occur in the hips, wrists, spinal vertebrae etc. and could take place over mild stresses such as bending over or even a strong bout of coughing.
Generally, there are no such symptoms in the early stages of osteoporosis as it develops slowly and steadily in the body. The person may show signs of:
But the person may not actually get to know his/her exact condition until after they experience a fracture/break post a minor incident. And then all hell breaks loose (pun intended) as the patient is in pain and emotional distress as to what to do. If you want to avoid such situations, do give this article a read and learn all that you need to know about osteoporosis.
Quite a few factors contribute to osteoporosis. Bone is a living tissue and it’s in a repetitive state of renewal, i.e. constantly a new bone is made and an old one is broken down in your body. When you are young, this process is fast, but it slows down with age. Most humans reach their maximum bone mass by the age of thirty. And as one ages, the loss of bone mass is quite speedier than its creation. That’s where the problem arises. It also depends on how much bone mass was created in the early years. The peak bone mass acts as a form of bone ‘bank’ and the higher it is, the lesser the chance of developing osteoporosis.
The rate of bone mass loss differs from person to person and generally around midlife, your bones start to become thinner. However, how fast or slow you lose out on bone mass depends on a number of factors. Some of these risk factors are modifiable while some are unavoidable. So, let’s take a closer look at them:
These risk factors are out of one’s control and these include:
These risk factors are basically avoidable and under greater control of an individual. These include:
A doctor will consider family history and any risk factors. If they suspect osteoporosis, they will request a bone mineral density scan (BMD).
Bone density scanning uses a type of X-ray known as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
DEXA can indicate the risk of osteoporotic fractures. It can also help monitor a person’s response to treatment.
Doctors give the results of the test as a DEXA T score or a Z score.
The T score compares an individual’s bone mass with the peak bone mass of a younger person.
The Z score compares the bone mass with that of other people of a similar build and age.
A doctor will typically repeat the test every 2 years as this allows them to compare results.
Treatment aims to:
People at risk of osteoporosis and fractures can use preventive lifestyle measures, supplements, and certain medications to achieve these goals.
About half of all women over 50 and one in every four men are susceptible to breaking a bone due to osteoporosis, but the best you can do is to stay fit by regularly indulging in exercises, cycling, swimming etc.; taking adequate calcium and protein through supplements as well as dairy foods, green leafy vegetables etc.; and visiting an orthopedic at least twice a year.
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