Have you ever imagined why your Paediatrician suggest Vitamin D3 drops from day 1? For their growth, development and bone health. So bone health is essential from childhood.
Bones are always under renewal.
In young people, the body makes new bone faster than it breaks down the old bone, so bone mass is increased. Over time, this process slows down. We reach our peak bone mass level in our early 30. Therefore, the more you produce bone and accumulate bone mass in your younger years, the less likely you are to develop osteoporosis as you age.
Age isn’t the only factor involved, and osteoporosis is linked to many factors, some of which might be surprising. In this article let us see about osteoporosis.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a bone disease that develops if bone mass and mineral density decrease or when the structure or quality of the bone changes. It may reduce bone strength, which increases the risk of broken bones or fractures.
Osteoporosis is a "silent" disease as you usually don't get any symptoms. You might not even recognize your suffering from this disease until you have a broken bone. Osteoporosis is a significant reason for fractures in older men and postmenopausal women. Fractures may occur to any bone; however, they usually happen in hip bones, spine vertebrae, and wrist.
Symptoms
Typically, there are no symptoms during the early stages of your bone loss. However, once the bones get weakened, you might get symptoms like:
A bone that breaks more quickly than anticipated
A curved posture
Back pain, sourced by a collapsed or fractured vertebra
Height loss over time
Causes
Osteoporosis happens when too much bone mass gets lost, and variations occur in the bone tissue structure. Certain risk factors might result in osteoporosis development or may increase the possibility of will developing the disease. Factors that might increase the risk of osteoporosis include:
A diet lower in Vitamin D and Calcium
Antiepileptic medicines that treat seizures or other neurological disorders
Cancer medications that use hormones for treating prostate and breast cancer
Chosen serotonin reuptake inhibitors that treat anxiety and depression
Heavy alcohol drinking
Long-term usage of certain medicines like Adrenocorticotropic Hormone and Glucocorticoids that treat different conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis and Asthma
Low levels of estrogen in women after menopause
Poor protein intake or excessive dieting
Proton pump inhibitors that lower down stomach acid
Thiazolidinediones that are used in treating type II diabetes
Thin-boned men and women are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis due to lesser bone loss
With age, your bones weaken, and the risk of osteoporosis rises
Women have smaller bones or lower peak bone mass than men
Diagnosis
Your bone density could be evaluated by a machine, which uses lower-level X-rays to know the mineral proportion in the bones. In this painless examination, you must lie on the padded table, and a scanner will pass over your entire body. In most cases, only some bones are checked — generally in the spine and hip.
The tests to be done include:
Bone Density Test
Ultrasound
CT scan
Treatment
Nutrition is a key factor in increasing strength, particularly your intake of vitamin D and calcium.
Getting enough exercise and being active is also important – we recommend at least 30 minutes a day.
Bone Bank : the bones are remodelling themselves and lifestyle changes affect the health of bone. Think your bone as a bank ,when you deposit calcium its stronger and remember withdrawal also happens as you age. If you deposit more than withdrawal the balance
grows that means healthy bone. Adequate intake of calcium and absorption both ensures development of bone. Build your bone bank by including low fat dairy products like yogurt, cottage cheese; include soya , nuts, seeds and calcium rich foods in your diet;
Tobacco, alcohol, excessive salt intake, excessive caffeine, and junk food are well known bone toxins that should be avoided.
Medications :
Treatment recommendations are based on estimating the risk of breaking bones in the coming ten years with data like a bone density test. If the risk isn't very high, treatment may not include any medications and might concentrate on adjusting risk factors for falls and bone loss.
Bisphosphonates: The most extensively prescribed medications include bisphosphonates, including Alendronate, Ibandronate, Risedronate, and Zoledronic Acid.
Denosumab: Compared to bisphosphonates, denosumab produces similar or perhaps better bone density and reduces the possibility of fractures.
Hormone-Associated Therapy: Estrogen, mainly when started immediately after menopause, may help maintain bone density. Estrogen is primarily utilized for the bone health of younger women or women with menopausal symptoms. Raloxifene simulates estrogen's positive bone density effects in postmenopausal women.
Bone-building Medications: In case of severe osteoporosis, or if common osteoporosis treatments don't work well, your doctor may suggest drugs like Teriparatide, Abaloparatide, and Romosozumab. After taking any bone-building medications, you must take additional osteoporosis drugs to maintain new bone growth.
Conclusion
To avoid breaking bones or osteoporosis, quit smoking, limit alcohol consumption, and prevent falls. Keep your rooms glowingly lit, install some grab bars inside or outside the shower door, and ensure you can quickly get into or out of bed.
