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Osteoporosis Prevention
The best way to avoid the painful and debilitating bone fractures that come with osteoporosis is to prevent the disease before it takes hold. Of course going back in time to the teenage years when bone growth is most crucial is not a possibility. However, there are still ways to increase bone mass, or at least limit the rapid destruction of bones common in menopausal women, before osteoporosis becomes a problem. Continue reading to learn prevention methods in order to avoid osteoporosis.
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Osteoporosis Prevention Tips
As mentioned above, the best time to take steps to prevent osteoporosis is in the teenage and young adult years. This is the time when adequate calcium intake is vital to the formation of healthy, strong bones. About 99% of the body´s calcium is stored in the bones and teeth and is essentially the building blocks of bones. It´s never too late to begin taking adequate amounts of calcium to stymie osteoporosis. As a woman gets older, the amount of calcium she requires per day increases. The recommended amount of calcium depending on age is listed below.
• 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 per day
Vitamin D is also crucial for healthy bones. Vitamin D aids the absorption of calcium in the bones. A lack of vitamin D inhibits the absorption of calcium and weakens bones, leading to osteoporosis. Below are the recommended amounts of vitamin D that a person should get each day depending on age.
• Ages 19-50: 5ug or (200iu)
• Ages 51-70: 10ug or (400iu)
• Age 71 and older: 15ug or (600iu) |
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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. Weight lifting can also create strong bones and prevent osteoporosis.
Avoiding alcohol can be an important aspect in sidestepping osteoporosis. 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. |
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Staggering statistics:
A 10% loss of bone mass in the vertebrae can double the risk of vertebral fractures, and similarly, a 10% loss of bone mass in the hip can result in a 2.5 times greater risk of hip fracture. |
Smoking can also decrease the body´s ability to absorb calcium. Avoiding smoking can be a key aspect of preventing osteoporosis.
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.
Read below to learn ways to prevent falls, which is the way most osteoporotic fractures occur. |
Preventing Falls
Falls at any age or state of health can be dangerous and lead to fractured bones; however, a person with osteoporosis is especially at risk of breaking bones from falling because the bones are so much weaker that non-osteoporotic bones.
Because most falls that lead to bone fractures take place in a woman´s home, it´s important to make the home as safe as possible and illuminate as many risk factors in the home. Here are some steps that can make a house safer for someone with osteoporosis:
- Wear appropriate, flat shoes.
- Wear glasses with the correct prescription and have this checked regularly.
- Avoid having loose rugs and carpets or trailing electrical flexes. Repair any torn floor coverings.
- Make sure the home is well lit.
- Be extra careful when taking medicines, especially sleeping pills and sedatives that may cause drowsiness, making a person more likely to trip or stumble.
- Anyone who experiences dizziness or is at risk of falling should talk to their doctor about how their medications might affect this.
- Anyone who needs to get up during the night to visit the toilet should consider using a chamber pot to avoid the risk of falling in the dark. Otherwise, leave some lights on where possible and make sure the route from the bed to the toilet is safe and clear of items that could cause a fall.
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• More than 90% of hip fractures are associated with osteoporosis.
• Nine out of 10 hip fractures in older Americans are the result of a fall.
• Individuals who have a hip fracture are 5 to 20% more likely to die in the first year following that injury than others in this age group.
• Most falls happen to women in their homes in the afternoon. |
Prevention is the best way to avoid osteoporosis, but if the disease has already set in, prevention may be too late. Click the following link to learn treatments for osteoporosis for doctor-recommended treatment options.
Return to home page and learn more about the 34 Menopause Symptoms.
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