Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes the weakening of bones. This disease reduces bone mass and strength. As the bones become weaken there is a greater risk of sudden fracture in bones and sometimes this fracture happens unexpectedly. The word ‘Osteoporosis’ is made up of two words; ‘Osteo-’ means related to bones and ‘-porosis’ means porous. It means osteoporosis is a medical condition in which bones become weak and can easily break. Due to this disease bone mass reduces and bone tissue deteriorates. In humans, although the bone density reduces with time and after 40 years of age, this deterioration starts at a faster pace.

Due to this, breaking of bones in old ages happens frequently if not taken care of properly. In old ages, the most common bones that break are the hip bones, bones of forearms and vertebrae of the spine. Due to this disease bones of the spine bend like a curve in old ages.

Osteoporosis Causes

Osteoporosis is a medical disorder and this happens due to both lower and greater than normal bone mass. The normal bone mass in adults is in the range of 3 to 5%. If this is maintained in the old ages, it is a good sign of healthiness of bones as when humans become older this mass reduces which leads to osteoporosis. Bone mass is the measurement of minerals like calcium and phosphorus in the bones. This indicates that the intake of these minerals in the dietary as well as in the form of supplements is necessary to keep the bone mass in the range to avoid the disease.

There are different types of reasons for osteoporosis in men and women. But in common, osteoporosis occurs due to two conditions, namely, primary and secondary. In the primary condition, the bone mass reduces due to age-related issues and this condition, in medical terms, is senile osteoporosis or if the reasons are not known then it is termed idiopathic osteoporosis. This type (idiopathic osteoporosis) of disease occurs in the ages earlier than 70 years. In the case of the secondary condition, this occurs due to improper dietary behaviour, lifestyles and medication.

In women, they are more prone to this disease than men due to the hormonal changes in 40 – 45 years of age. At this age, menopause happens and that reduces the level of oestrogen which is essential for the good health of bones in women. In this condition, the bone mass reduces rapidly which leads to lowering the bone strength and osteoporosis in the coming years.

In the case of men, osteoporosis or the reduction of bone mass happens mainly due to the secondary condition. The most common causes include alcohol abuse, smoking, hypogonadism (low levels of testosterone), hypercalciuria, and immobilization.

Signs of Osteoporosis

The symptoms of this disease do not appear in early ages as this disease happens, generally, in old ages. Usually, some of the following symptoms lead to the disease,

1. Stooping posture (bending or leaning forward) while walking or standing
2. Loss of weight over the time
3. Breaking of bones more frequently than usual
4. Breaking of bones more easily
5. Loss of bone tissue that leads to bone fragility
6. Frequent back pain.

Bones change their shapes, sizes and weight throughout the lifespan of human beings. In the early ages, childhood, bones are more created than usual and new bones are formed. After a certain age, adulthood, the formation of new bones though stops but their repairing, removal and build-up of new tissues go on throughout life.

Following are the risk factors that increase the chance of osteoporosis:

1. Bodyweight

Petite and thin people are more prone to this disease because they have less bone weight as compared to healthy or fatty people.

2. Family factor

If your parents or grandparents have faced the disease in their old age, you are also at the risk of osteoporosis in your older age. Frequent breaking of bones in the early ages also leads to osteoporosis as your bones are too fragile as compared to the normal person.

3. Medication

Hyper use of medicines is also one of the causes of the risk of osteoporosis. Other medical conditions like hormonal treatment, weight loss due to organ transplant, prostate cancer, breast cancer (in women), blood-related diseases such as myeloma, history of missed periods (in women) are the other causes of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis Prevention

Our bones are the web of tissues reinforced with minerals like calcium and phosphorous and special bone cells. In the total life period, bones tissues are created and removed which causes restructuring and remodelling of our skeletons. As calcium and phosphorous play a vital role in making the skeletons, people are supposed to take a sufficient supply of these minerals through diets or, if required and recommended, through additional supplements.

The bone mass is the percentage of the bone minerals as compared to the total body weight. As a standard, the bone mass of adults should be in the range of 3 to 5% of the body weight. Once diagnosed with the disease, doctors recommend the patient should follow a strict nutritious dietary plan, exercise, and balanced lifestyle preventing bone loss in coming years. Doctors have to give the treatment plan after studying the medical background of the patient.

Change in dietary behaviour also leads to preventing osteoporosis. Avoid smoking, alcohol consumption and increasing physical activity or exercise (in which muscles and bones have to work against gravity) can reduce the chance of osteoporosis. Dietary habits are also to be changed, when becoming older, by increasing more mineral intake and vitamin D. Though these treatments are available once the disease is diagnosed, but to take care of yourself in old age, start exercise, walking, physical activities and consuming good and healthy food and avoid junk foods can reduce the chances of osteoporosis.

FAQs on Osteoporosis

Q.1: What is osteoporosis disease?

Answer. Osteoporosis is an old age disease. This happens to 1 out of 3 women and 1 out of 5 men in the world. In this disease, the bone mass of the body reduces to that level in which the bones become too fragile and can be broken more frequently and easily.

Q.2: How osteoporosis can be treated?

Answer: Osteoporosis is a disease that happens due to a lack of minerals like calcium and phosphorous and vitamin D in diets and no or fewer movements. By increasing more mineral intake and vitamin D in the diet and doing exercise, walking, physical activities regularly and consuming good and healthy food and avoid junk foods can reduce the chances of osteoporosis in old ages.

Q.3: Where osteoporosis can occur?

Answer: Osteoporosis is a bone fracture related disease that can occur in the hip area, arms and spine. Due to this disease, bones of the hip, bones of forearms and vertebrae of the spine break easily. As the disease happens in old ages, the recovery period of bone fractures increases as compared to the young age. As the formation of bone tissues is slower in old age.

Q.4: What will happen if osteoporosis is ignored?

Answer: Osteoporosis is a disease related to the strength of the bones that make the skeleton of the body. If this disease is left untreated the breaking of bones become frequent. Even a small physical movement like a sudden turn, sneezing, coughing or jumping on a hard surface can lead to fracture of bones. This becomes vulnerable if treatment of broken bones is not properly done.