Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle, so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a break. Osteoporosis-related breaks most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine.
Bone
is a living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced.
Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn't keep up with the loss
of old bone.
SYMPTOMS
There
often are no symptoms in the early stages of bone loss. But once osteoporosis
weakens your bones, you might have symptoms of a fracture that include:
Back pain caused by a broken
or collapsed bone in the spine.
Loss of height over time.
A stooped posture.
A bone that breaks much more
easily than expected.
CAUSES
Osteoporosis
weakens bone
Your
bones are in a constant state of renewal; new bone is made and old bone is
broken down. When you're young, your body makes new bone faster than it breaks
down old bone and your bone mass increases. After the early 20s this process
slows, and most people reach their peak bone mass by age 30.
Risk factors
Risk factors include your age, race, lifestyle
choices, and medical conditions and treatments.
Sex. Women
are much more likely to develop osteoporosis than are men.
Age. The
older you get, the greater your risk of osteoporosis.
Race. You're
at greatest risk of osteoporosis if you're white or of Asian descent.
Family
history. Having a parent or sibling with osteoporosis
puts you at greater risk, especially if your mother or father fractured a hip.
Body
frame size. People who have small body frames tend to
have a higher risk. This may be because they have less bone mass to draw from
as they age.
Hormone levels
Sex hormones. Lowered
sex hormone levels tend to weaken bone. The fall in estrogen levels at
menopause is one of the strongest risk factors for developing osteoporosis.
Treatments for prostate cancer that reduce testosterone levels and treatments
for breast cancer that reduce estrogen levels are likely to speed up bone loss.
Thyroid hormone. Too
much thyroid hormone can cause bone loss. This can occur if your thyroid makes
too much hormone or if you take too much thyroid hormone medicine to treat a
thyroid that doesn't make enough hormone.
Hormones from
other glands. Osteoporosis also has been associated with
having too much of the hormones from the parathyroid and adrenal glands.
Dietary factors
Low calcium
intake. A lifelong lack of calcium plays a role in
the development of osteoporosis. Low calcium intake contributes to lower bone
density, early bone loss and an increased risk of fractures.
Eating disorders. Severely
restricting food intake and being underweight weakens bone in all people.
Gastrointestinal
surgery. Surgery to reduce the size of your stomach or
to remove part of the intestine limits the amount of surface area available to
absorb nutrients, including calcium. These surgeries include those to help you
lose weight and those that treat other gastrointestinal disorders.
Steroids and other medicines
Long-term use of corticosteroid medicines, such as
prednisone and cortisone, interferes with the bone-rebuilding process. These
medicines are taken by mouth or shot. Osteoporosis also has been associated
with medicines used to combat or prevent:
Seizures.
Gastric reflux.
Cancer.
Transplant
rejection.
Medical conditions
Celiac disease.
Inflammatory bowel disease.
Kidney or liver disease.
Cancer.
Multiple myeloma.
Rheumatoid arthritis.
Lifestyle choices
Sedentary
lifestyle. People who spend a lot of time sitting have a
higher risk of osteoporosis than do those who are more active. Weight-bearing
exercise and activities like Walking, running, jumping, dancing and
weightlifting seem particularly helpful.
Excessive alcohol
use. Regular consumption of more than two
alcoholic drinks a day increases the risk of osteoporosis.
Tobacco use. The
exact role tobacco plays in osteoporosis isn't clear, but tobacco use has been
shown to contribute to weak bones.
COMPLICATIONS
Compression
fractures
Bone
breaks, particularly in the spine or hip, are the most serious complications of
osteoporosis. Hip fractures often are caused by a fall. A hip fracture can
result in disability and even an increased risk of death within the first year
after the injury.
In
some cases, broken bones in the spine can occur even if you haven't fallen. The
bones that make up the spine, called vertebrae, can weaken to the point of
collapsing. This can result in back pain, lost height and a hunched posture.
PREVENTION
Good
nutrition and regular exercise are essential for keeping your bones healthy
throughout your life.
Calcium
People
between the ages of 18 and 50 need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. This
daily amount increases to 1,200 milligrams when women turn 50 and men turn 70.
Good sources of calcium include:
Low-fat dairy
products.
Dark green leafy
vegetables.
Canned salmon or
sardines with bones.
Soy products, such
as tofu.
Calcium-fortified cereals and orange juice.
If
you find it hard to get enough calcium from your diet, consider taking calcium
supplements.
Vitamin D
Vitamin
D improves the body's ability to absorb calcium and improves bone health in
other ways. People can get some of their vitamin D from sunlight. But this
might not be a good source if you live in a high latitude, if you're
housebound, or if you regularly use sunscreen or avoid the sun because of the
risk of skin cancer.
Dietary
sources of vitamin D include cod liver oil, trout and salmon. Many types of
milk and cereal have been fortified with vitamin D.
Exercise
Exercise
can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss. Exercise can benefit your
bones no matter when you start. But you gain the most benefits if you start
exercising regularly when you're young and continue to exercise throughout your
life.
Combine
strength training exercises with weight-bearing and balance exercises. Strength
training helps strengthen muscles and bones in your arms and upper spine.
Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, running, stair climbing, skiing and
impact-producing sports, affect mainly the bones in your legs, hips and lower
spine. Balance exercises such as tai chi can reduce your risk of falling
especially as you get older.
DIAGNOSIS
Healthcare
professionals often diagnose osteoporosis during routine screening for the
disease. It also is commonly diagnosed when a broken bone is X-rayed. Sometimes
osteoporosis is found when you have an X-ray for another reason, such as a
chest X-ray.
Your
bone density can be measured with a machine that uses low levels of X-rays to
determine the proportion of mineral in your bones. During this painless test,
you lie on a padded table as a scanner passes over your body. In most cases,
only certain bones are checked, usually those in the hips and spine.
HOMEOPATHIC
MEDICINE
Homoeopathic medicines are
mainly intended for managing the symptoms and preventing further damages
Calcarean phosphoricum
Rhus tox
Rannunculus
