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Osteoporosis FAQ |
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Because osteoporosis can be one of the most potentially serious symptoms of menopause, many women are curious to learn about the disease that causes bone fractures in so many people throughout the world. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about osteoporosis to arm women with the knowledge they´ll need to keep their bones healthy as they enter menopause.
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Q: What is osteoporosis?
A: Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones and increases the risk of sudden and unexpected fractures. Osteoporosis literally means "porous bone". A hallmark of the disease is an increased loss of bone mass and strength. It often progresses without any symptoms or pain. Generally, osteoporosis is not discovered until weakened bones cause painful bone fractures usually in the back or hips.
Q: Who is most at risk for osteoporosis?
A: Women make up 80% of all who suffer from osteoporosis, so they are most at risk. Women going through menopause who are older than 50 years old are even more at risk than younger women. This is because female hormonal levels, particularly estrogen, drop as menopause approaches. Estrogen is an important for bone growth because it aids absorption of calcium into the bones, which makes them strong. With low levels of estrogen, bones lose mass and become weak. Other risk factors are: age, sex, family history, body type, race and ethnicity, history of broken bones, diseases and conditions, inactive lifestyle, smoking, and alcohol abuse. |
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Read below to find out what the symptoms of osteoporosis are.
Q: What are the symptoms of osteoporosis?
A: One of the main issues with the onset of osteoporosis is that many people who begin developing it don´t realize they are afflicted until they experience a bone fracture as a result. That is one reason it´s important to take a proactive approach against osteoporosis. Symptoms generally begin to occur late in the disease when there are not many options to regain the necessary bone density. Below are the common symptoms that can indicate osteoporosis.
• Loss of height as a result of weakened spine.
• Fractured bones, especially hip bones.
• Cramps in the legs at night, fatigue.
• Bone pain and tenderness.
• Neck, spine, and lower back pain.
• Abdominal pain, rib pain.
• Tooth loss, periodontal disease.
• Broken bones, brittle fingernails.
• Spinal deformities become evident like stooped posture, an outward curve at the top of the spine as a result of developing a vertebral collapse on the back.
Read below to find out how menopause affects the health and strength of bones.
Q: What are the effects of menopause on bone health?
A: Osteoporosis is inextricably linked to hormones. For this reason, women make up about 80% of osteoporosis sufferers, and a large percentage of those women have undergone menopause and the hormonal fluctuations associated with it. Estrogen is the predominant hormone that fades with the onset of menopause and puts women at a much higher risk of developing osteoporosis.
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Estrogen levels in post-menopausal women is about one-tenth the amount present in pre-menopausal women. Without adequate levels of estrogen, bones aren´t able to absorb the proper amounts of calcium to replenish bone mass as cells slough off and die. The body also has trouble controlling the amount of bone cells that are destroyed without estrogen to regulate the function. |
One in three women over 50 years old will experience a bone fracture as a result of osteoporosis. |
Estrogen's most important effect on osteoporosis appears to be prevention of bone breakdown, known as resorption. Healthy bones require a balance of osteoclasts (cells that breakdown bones) and osteoblasts (cells that make new bone). As estrogen levels diminish, osteoclasts live longer than their counterparts, osteoblasts. This leads to bones being broken down at a rate much greater than they can be rebuilt, thus they grow weak and brittle. Read below to find out other causes of osteoporosis.
Q: What else causes osteoporosis?
A: Researchers agree that the primary cause of osteoporosis in women as they surpass age 50 is diminished hormonal levels, particularly estrogen levels; however, there are other causes that need to be explored in order to have a comprehensive understanding of this serious bone disease. Other causes of osteoporosis include the following:
| • Diseases: many diseases can hamper the growth of new bone material. Some of these diseases are hyperthyroidism, disorders of the adrenal glands (Cushing's syndrome, for instance), disorders of the pituitary gland, diabetes, and eating disorders. |
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| • Medications: some medications can reduce bones´ ability to rebuild themselves. Some of the medications that can cause osteoporosis are glucocorticoid medications, prednisolone, excess thyroid hormone replacement, the blood thinner heparin, and certain anti-convulsant medications. |
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| • Insufficient bone growth as a youth: Bones that didn´t get enough calcium early in life have a higher likelihood of becoming osteoporotic and fracturing as estrogen levels begin to decrease. |
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| • Genetic factors: If a woman´s family members, especially her mother, have suffered from osteoporosis, the likelihood that she will develop the disease jumps dramatically. Genetics also helps determine the body type of a woman. If she inherited a small, thin body type, she is predisposed to osteoporosis. |
Q: Are there other steps that can be taken to prevent osteoporosis or keep it from worsening?
A: Yes. There are some prevention steps that can be done that can hold osteoporosis at bay. The only problem is the best way to prevent the disease is to get adequate calcium as a teenager and young adult. Women who are already at an age where osteoporosis is likely to occur from menopause may find they are too late to fully prevent osteoporosis. They are still able to slow the deterioration of bone mass with some prevention techniques. Here are some of the techniques:
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• Get enough calcium. Calcium is the most important factor in healthy, strong bones. Here are the recommended amounts of calcium per day depending on an individual´s age:
› 50 and older: 1200 mg per day
› 19-50 years old: 1000 mg per day
› 9-18 years old: 1300 mg per day
› 4-8 years old: 800 mg per day
› 1-3 years old: 500 mg |
Osteoarthritis, sometimes confused with osteoporosis, is an inflammation of the joints due to aging, wear and tear, or injury. |
• Vitamin D is also crucial because it helps calcium get absorbed into the bones.
• Adequate physical activity is also of paramount importance to avoid osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, jogging, jumping, stair climbing, push-ups, and other forms of exercise that forces weight through the bones help to keep bones dense and strong.
• Excessive amounts of alcohol can kill the cells that rebuild bones. Too much alcohol can also limit the amount of estrogen in the body, which also deteriorates the bones and leads to osteoporosis.
• Smoking can also decrease the body´s ability to absorb calcium.
• Maintain a healthy body weight and don´t skip meals or lose too much weight later in life. Weight loss almost surely signifies a loss of bone mass, which puts the individual at risk of developing osteoporosis.
Continue reading to learn about some of the treatments of osteoporosis.
Q: What treatments are available for osteoporosis?
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A: There are several treatment options available for osteoporosis sufferers. Doctors typically recommend that women looking for treatment begin with the least obtrusive options and move onto more risky treatments. That means lifestyle changes should be explored first and foremost, such as eating a healthy, well-balanced diet rich in calcium. Weight-bearing exercises are also recommended as a lifestyle change to treat osteoporosis.
Next, alternative medicines, such as herbs and supplements, are recommended after lifestyle changes. The best treatment option includes combining lifestyle changes and alternative medicines. Because osteoporosis is largely caused |
There is a range of drug treatment available for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Different studies have consistently shown that, depending on the drug and the patient population, treatment reduces the risk of vertebral fracture by between 30-65% and of nonvertebral fractures by between 16-53%. |
by hormonal imbalance, use herbs that stimulate hormone production to treat the source of osteoporosis. Calcium supplements are also good for osteoporosis.
The final level of treatment is drugs and surgery. Hormone Replacement Therapy falls into this category and has helped many women with their osteoporosis. However, this kind of treatment comes with the most health risks and side effects.
What are the best ways to cope with osteoporosis?
Three approaches can be considered for treating osteoporosis: (1) lifestyle changes, (2) alternative remedies, and (3) drugs and surgery. Most experts recommend that women begin with the least aggressive approach and move to the next level of treatment only if symptoms persist. Click on treatments for osteoporosis to discover the best route to relief.
Return to home page and learn more about the 34 Menopause Symptoms.
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