What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a degenerative condition where bones are increasingly weak and brittle as they lose their structural integrity, and as a result the person becomes more susceptible to bone fractures or bone breaks. Human bones are living tissue, and people with good bone health have their creation of new bone keeping pace with the loss of bone tissue that occurs with all the body’s bones. This regeneration is particularly needed for weight-bearing bones like the femurs and hip bones.
With osteoporosis the amount of bone tissue being lost isn’t replaced by new tissue to the extent it needs to be, and so bones weaken and start to lack the same strength and rigidity. Osteoporosis is most common in Asian and Caucasian women, and is especially common when women are in post-menopausal years.
What Causes Osteoporosis
A person’s regenerates bone very healthily and robustly in their youth, and for most people around the age of 30 is when they are at their peak bone mass. After this the process starts to slow and a greater amount bone is lost than is regenerated. Some ethnicities will experience more of this deficit, and other factors determining your risk of osteoporosis are sex, family history, and bone frame size. People with smaller skeletal structures are more likely to have osteoporosis.
Hormonal imbalances can also be part of what causes osteoporosis. Low sex hormone levels (estrogen for women / testosterone for men), excess thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism), and overactive adrenal or parathyroid glands can also promote osteoporosis. Diet may also contribute, with low calcium intake or eating disorders leading to insufficient nutritional intake that may also be a part of why bones weaken more easily.
Medical conditions can also increase the chance of developing osteoporosis, and they include:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Celiac disease
- Liver or kidney disease
- Cancer
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Multiple myeloma
Osteoporosis Symptoms
The osteoporosis symptoms that sufferers experience most regularly are bones breaking too easily, back pain caused broken or collapsed bones in the spine, stooped posture and inability to sit or stand up straight without difficulty, and loss of height over time. Perceived weakness and hesitancy to lift or carry loads may also be signs that a person has weakened bones because of worsening osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis Treatment
The standard approach for osteoporosis treatment is to have patients start on bisphosphonate medications like Fosamax or Zometa, as well to take calcium and Vitamin D supplements. Some osteoporosis may have a Denosumab injection once every month as part of their treatment, and Evista is used for post-menopausal women needing hormone replacement therapy for osteoporosis.
A doctor may also recommend doing physical therapy that focuses on strengthening muscles around weakened and at-risk bones. Balance exercises may also be helpful, and for some osteoporosis sufferers it may be beneficial to make modifications to the home so the risk of falls is reduced. Examples can be grab bars outside the shower or tub or a step platform to make it easier to get in and out bed.
