Osteoporosis Awareness Month- What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis means porous bones. It is a condition when bones become thin and weak and therefore the bones have an increased likelihood of breaking and resulting in a fracture.
Osteoporosis fractures commonly occur in the wrist, hip or spine and can result in chronic pain, disability, loss of independence and in some cases premature death.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY WITH OSTEOPOROSIS?
The tissues in our bones are constantly being broken down and replaced. When there is an imbalance in this and too much bone tissue is being broken down and not replaced we get osteoporosis.
The bone structure becomes weaker so there can be damage to a bone from minor stress put on it such as from a small fall, coughing or small action.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF OSTEOPOROSIS?
Earlier on there are often no symptoms however once there is damage to the bones there may be pain, loss of height or stooped posture. Often people discover they have osteoporosis when they have a broken bone or through screening and tests such as a DEXA scan.
WHO DOES IT AFFECT AND WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS OF OSTEOPOROSIS?
Risk factors are things about you that may put you at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. Some are controllable and some you cannot change but it is good to be aware of them to assess your risk of osteoporosis.
Some of the risk factors include:
Early menopause and reduce oestrogen and other hormone levels
Corticosteroid use over a long period
Family history of fractures with small amounts of trauma
Women are more likely than men
Increased age
Cuacasian or asian descent
Smaller body frames
Hormone or thyroid issues
Low calcium intake
Eating disorders or gastrointestinal diseases and surgery
Conditions such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney or liver disease or, cancer to include a few
Sedentary lifestyle
Excessive alcohol consumption
Tobacco use