Fighting Off Osteoporosis
What Is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a bone disease or a condition also known as the “brittle bone disease” as it leads to the increased risk of fracture for the loss of bone density due to the deficiency of estrogen, loss of bone tissue and low vitamin D intake along with low Calcium intake in most cases it may develop in women when the body is unable to develop new bone ; at the same pace rate while losing the old bone. The bone like any other tissue in our body is also a living structure and keeps changing therefore new bone develops when the body loses the old bone. Osteoporosis mainly occurs in post menopausal women and 20% of the cases are for men who have this disease , however it may affect any one with an unhealthy lifestyle. People suffering from osteoporosis are prone to the risk of a fracture that may occur as cracking or collapsing. Cracking takes place as a hip fracture whereas collapsing take place on the back bone or the vertebrae. The most common areas of the fracture risk is generally the hip, back bone and the wrist however other parts of the skeletal frame are affected as well. Sometimes fractures may occur in the course of a regular activity is called a ” minimal trauma fracture” or “stress fracture”.
Causes Of Osteoporosis – Common Risk Factors Involved:
- Being Caucasian or Asian
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Low bone mass
- Being thin or having a small frame
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Anorexia nervosa
- Use of certain medications
- Cigarette smoking
- A family history of osteoporosis
- Advanced age
- Estrogen deficiency as a result of menopause, especially early or surgically induced
- Being female
- The lack of movement
- Long-term use of corticosteroids
- Certain illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid problems.
The Adverse Effects Of Osteoporosis:
Osteoporosis causes a lot of pain and depreciates the quality of life which in turn affects our personal and professional life ,people who are severely suffering from osteoporosis are subjected to long time nursing home care. Elderly people suffering from the disease of osteoporosis suffer from blood clots or ( pulmonary embolism) which is clot in the pulmonary artery ( the artery that carries blood from the heart to the lungs) which occurs due to excess bed rest after a hip fracture, pneumonia is another adversity caused due to osteoporosis. People who have suffered from a vertebral fracture are susceptible to more such spine fractures in the future after a few years and postmenopausal women who have earlier suffered from a spine fracture will suffer from the fracture of a new fracture of vertebral bone. Therefore Osteoporosis is a gradual loss of calcium also causing structural changes in the skeleton causing the bones to become thinner and fragile. Some of the other effects of osteoporosis are:
Wrist Fractures, Spine Compression Fractures, Shoulder Fractures, Pelvis Fractures, Hip Fractures, ankle fractures and Tibial Plateau Fractures.
