Osteoporosis - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
Osteoporosis is a thinned and weakened bone condition that commonly develops in older women. When bones are in this fragile condition, they break more easily. With this condition any bone can be affected, but the hip, spine, and wrist are the bones most often broken.Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. Osteoporosis often was thought to be a condition that frail elderly women develop. Osteoporosis leads to literally abnormally porous bone that is more compressible like a sponge, than dense like a brick. This disorder of the skeleton weakens the bone leading to an increase in the risk of breaking bones (bone fracture).
Osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease. There are currently an estimated 10 million Americans suffering from osteoporosis, as well as another 18 million who have low bone mass, or osteopenia. Osteoporosis occurs when the body fails to form enough new bone, or when too much old bone is reabsorbed by the body, or both.
Causes
Bone is made up mostly of minerals such as calcium. The bone in our bodies is constantly being broken down and replaced with new bone. This bone-building cycle takes about 100 days and is influenced by the hormones produced in our bodies (such as estrogen in women) as well as by the levels of calcium and vitamin D. Osteoporosis occurs when bone tissue and minerals are lost faster than the bone is replaced.
Symptoms
Osteoporosis is often called the “silent disease”, because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a bone to fracture or a vertebra to collapse. However, there may be a chronic, dull pain particularly in the lower back or neck, which may become sharp later in the course of the disease.
Most osteoporotic spine fractures (vertebral compression fractures) start with sudden back pain, usually after routine activity (lifting or bending) that slightly strains or jars the back. After a month or two, this acute pain is usually replaced by an achy pain (see Diagnosing vertebral compression fractures).
Treatment
Treatment depends on the form of osteoporosis a patient has. If a patient has secondary osteoporosis, treatment is aimed at curing the disease that has caused osteoporosis. In the case of primary osteoporosis, medications are used to adjust the balance between bone resorption and bone formation. Treatment may also be necessary for bone fractures resulting from osteoporosis. The most common treatment for such fractures is surgery.
Prevention is the best medicine. A diet high in calcium (1500 mg a day) and vitamin D is necessary. Calcium can be found in milk and dairy and in some fish such as sardines and salmon. Calcium supplements can also be taken if you are not getting enough calcium in your regular diet. Vitamin D helps your body absorb the calcium and you can boost your Vitamin D intake by spending time in the sun or through foods such as milk, fish and liver. A multivitamin can also provide the necessary amount of Vitamin D your body needs.
