Osteoporosis bone disorder, also known as porous bones is one of the most common diseases of bones. A person suffering from osteoporosis will lose a certain amount of bone mass. Osteoporosis enhances the risk of bone fractures. In this disease the density of the bones will be decreased drastically, finally making them weak and thin. When the bones become thin and fragile, a person will definitely tend have more injuries (as he is at high risk of it). This is due to low intake of calcium and vitamin-D and other health issues. So, it is always better to maintain a balanced diet chart which includes calcium and vitamin-D rich foods.
Frequent bone injuries and fractures are the initial signs for osteoporosis bone disorder. Hips, spine, wrists and ribs are the most common areas which are at a high risk of osteoporosis related fractures. Even if we face small injury, these areas can suffer from bone destruction or collapse.
Osteoporosis is a bone disease which develops slowly. This disease has no such exact symptoms but it increases the risk of bone destruction, as a certain amount of bone mass is lost. We can only find symptoms when we suffer from minor injuries which will lead to fracture of the bone. Few of the symptoms which we might ignore are:
Several factors enhance the risk of osteoporosis bone disorder. These factors includes our health conditions, lifestyle, age and diet
Some of the osteoporosis risk factors are:
Reformation of bone varies from person to person. Osteoporosis bone disorder occurs when there is no proper balance between the formation of new and old bones. There are several causes which lead to the development of osteoporosis. Few of the causes are:
Osteoporosis is a disease of bones which is diagnosed, only when a person suffers from a bone injury. X-ray of the fractured bone can reveal about osteoporosis, though it does not give the accurate loss of bone mass. One of the most popular methods for diagnosing osteoporosis is Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA). This method will measure the density of the bones and compare with the actual range. This method is considered as a golden standard.
A T-score is provided to the patient. This score gives the comparison of his bone density with the actual density.
T-scores are set as follows:
Prevention is always better than cure. In order to prevent osteoporosis we need to adopt few healthy habits.
Any disease can be treated only when we know the exact cause of the disease. In similar way, we can treat osteoporosis bone disorder only when we know the exact cause of it.
Treatment of osteoporosis will not completely cure the disease, but it reduces the bone loss and strengthens our bones. Once after diagnosing osteoporosis you need to undergo certain medication which is prescribed by the doctor. Certain modifications in our lifestyle must be done like quitting smoking, consuming calcium and vitamin-D rich foods and reducing alcohol consumption. There are various health disasters with alcohol.
There are certain medications like calcitonin, boniva, zoledronate, raloxifene, fosamax, which not only reduces bone loss but also increases the strength of the bones. There are also other treatments like hormone replacement treatment, testosterone treatment, stem cell therapy and other vitamin – D and calcium supplements which can treat osteoporosis.
Bones will be changing continuously throughout our life. The old ones will be replaced by new bones. Osteoporosis bone disorder is a condition which creates imbalances between the old and new ones. So, it is always better to prevent osteoporosis by maintaining a healthy diet and performing regular exercises. Walking is one of the best ways to strengthen our bones, as there are healthy benefits with walking.
Manoja Kalakanti