How Do You Get Osteoporosis?
- More common in people over 50
- More common in women, especially after menopause
- Heredity can play a role in osteoporosis
- Not enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet
- Not eating enough fruits and vegetables
- Consuming too much protein, caffeine, and sodium
- Not getting enough exercise
- Smoking
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Crash diets with large weight loss that don’t involve exercise
- Taking certain medications, especially steroids
- Certain diseases and conditions cause bone loss including autoimmune disorders, diabetes, leukemia, AIDS, certain cancers, eating disorders, etc.
Osteoporosis is a condition that causes your bones to lose mass and become weaker. It becomes much easier to break bones when they are weak. In women, bone loss increases after menopause when the body’s estrogen levels decrease. A bone density test can determine whether you have osteoporosis before a broken bone occurs.
What is Bone Density?
Bone density is a medical measurement of the mineral content of bone. It indicates the structural strength of bone in the body and is a screen for osteoporosis. Healthy bone under a microscope has parts that appear like a honeycomb. Bone that has lost density and suffers from osteoporosis will have bigger holes and bigger spaces in the honeycomb structure than in healthy bone. As the bones in your body lose density, they become weaker and weaker. It also becomes much easier to break bones when they are less dense and weak, especially bones in the spine, wrist, and hip. In some people the vertebrae in the spine begin to break or collapse, causing posture problems and a loss in height. A bone density test can detect osteoporosis before broken bones occur.
Osteoporosis and Treatment
Osteoporosis can be treated, but it cannot be cured. Working with your healthcare provider at Partners In Women’s Healthcare is important to diagnose osteoporosis and determine a treatment plan that takes your current physical condition and your medical history into account. A bone density test will probably be performed. It is the only test that can diagnose osteoporosis prior to a bone breaking.
If you are diagnosed with osteoporosis, your healthcare provider might prescribe an estrogen or hormone therapy or another type of medication depending on if you have reached menopause or not. There are many factors that will be considered before a treatment regmine is prescribed. Contact Partners In Women’s Healthcare today and make an appointment to discuss your overall health and the health of your bones. Don’t wait until a broken bone occurs.
