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Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is one of the most common symptoms of menopause. Doctors say almost all women will have some level of osteoporosis in their lifetime. This symptom can be very dangerous and cause severe complications if not given the right attention. So please take your time to read this page, which provides important and useful information, to learn the best methods for dealing with osteoporosis.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disorder which consists of the bone getting thinner and weaker (a general decrease in the bone mass and density).
Our bones are composed of two major elements: minerals (including calcium and phosphorous) and bone cells (consisting of osteoblasts and osteoclasts).
Osteoclasts eat away our bones, while the osteoblasts help to recreate them.
In order to stay strong and healthy, both the Osteoclasts and the Osteoblasts must work properly so that our bones constantly regenerate themselves.
Osteoporosis makes bones more susceptible to breaks and fractures. Bone loss itself does not trigger any symptoms until a fracture occurs, often as a result of a simple fall. The wrist, spine and hip are the most affected areas. Such injuries can significantly reduce quality of life, independence and, in the case of hip fracture, can shorten your life.
What causes Osteoporosis?
The leading cause of osteoporosis is hormone imbalance, particularly estrogen which maintains the osteoclasts (the bone cell breaker) at a controlled amount. Therefore, when estrogen levels drop, the body's ability to regenerate its bones is reduced because the bone cell breakers are unregulated. The osteoclasts overrun the osteoblasts (the bone cell producer), making women lose more bone mass than usual. This imbalance leads to bone density and mass diminution. |
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Normally, a human being loses 1% of his bone mass every year. But, if you are a woman with menopause, you will probably lose between 2% and 7% of your bone mass.
Osteoporosis can cause great health risks indeed, as your bones are susceptible to breaks and fractures.
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Menopause does affect your bones.
For the Osteoclasts (bone cell breakers) not to outnumber the bone cell producers, a balanced level of estrogen hormones is needed. This estrogen imbalance, produced mainly by menopause, is the most common cause of Osteoporosis.
Other less frequent factors that could contribute to bone loss include inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, insufficient or improper weight-bearing, muscle exercise and the use of certain medications. However, these causes of osteoporosis are not as frequent as the hormonal imbalance factor.
Osteoporosis can turn into a difficult symptom to handle if women don't deal with it appropriately.
So, it's in your own best interest to inform yourself as much as possible about methods for preventing and dealing with osteoporosis. |
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| Women should have their doctor check them for osteoporosis once they enter menopause. In order to do this, he will perform a bone density scan, which
measures the amount of minerals in the bones. This determines in which
stage of osteoporosis you are. |
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What to do about Osteoporosis?
First, we must keep in mind that preventing osteoporosis is much easier than treating it. So the first step should be to control the estrogen and calcium levels in your body, which are the main components for a healthy bone. Stopping further osteoporosis development or even preventing osteoporosis entirely depends on how early and how intelligently we take care of our estrogen and calcium levels.
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Therefore, healthy nutrition is important, since calcium and vitamin D are absorbed from everyday food. So, for preventing osteoporosis we should focus on maintaining a healthy body, which can be accomplished by following a healthy diet and some kind of exercise program. Nonetheless, because balancing estrogen levels is the most important and effective way to deal with osteoporosis, you should bear in mind that a healthy diet and exercise program alone may not be enough to bring relief, or may prove difficult to stick with. |
Even though there are several ways to manage osteoporosis, one of the best ways is combining healthy diet and exercise with some kind of alternative medicine. You can click on one of the links in the article below to learn more about the osteoporosis treatment that best suits you.
Which are the best ways to cope with Osteoporosis?
Three levels of approaches can be considered for treating Osteoporosis:
(1)lifestyle changes, (2)alternative approaches and (3)drugs and surgery. The safest way is to start with the least
risky approach and go on to the next level only if it is necessary. Click on treatments for osteoporosis and don't miss these three excellent approaches.
Return to home page and learn more about the 34 Menopause Symptoms
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