If you have osteoporosis, always ask for help if you need it. Avoid standing on chairs to reach high cupboards or change a light bulb. Try to avoid using ladders or, if you have to, take your time and do so carefully. Also, try to avoid doing chores that you know will cause more pain.
In general, life should be able to go on as normal – perhaps with just a few adjustments. Not everyone with osteoporosis will break a bone. Be reassured that if you don't break a bone, you won't have any pain or other long-term problems. Even if you do break a bone, pain and other ongoing problems aren't inevitable.
In serious cases of osteoporosis, a simple motion such as a cough or minor bump can result in a broken bone, also called a fracture. People with osteoporosis also have a harder time recovering from broken bones, which can sometimes cause pain that does not go away.
Treatments for established osteoporosis may include exercise, vitamin and mineral supplements, and medications. Exercise and supplementation are often suggested to help you prevent osteoporosis. Weight-bearing, resistance and balance exercises are all important.
In postmenopausal women, smoking is linked with an increased risk of osteoporosis. Data on the effect of regular consumption of alcohol and caffeine on osteoporosis is not as clear as with exercise and cigarettes.
Osteoporosis itself isn't painful. But when the condition is severe, it can lead to fractures and other painful problems. It's important to have a long-term treatment plan. The pain is usually more severe than the aches many people feel as they get older.
Stage 4 is the most severe stage of osteoporosis. The risk of bone fracture is higher, and the individual may also start having symptoms. Severe bone loss can lead to noticeable changes in a person's spine, such as height loss or stooped posture.
This excess risk is more pronounced in the first few years on treatment. The average life expectancy of osteoporosis patients is in excess of 15 years in women younger than 75 years and in men younger than 60 years, highlighting the importance of developing tools for long-term management.
Bone loss begins to occur at an approximate rate of 0.25% a year and is variable depending on many genetic and environmental factors. This may be considered the second stage towards osteopenia and/or osteoporosis. It is important to understand that this is a perfectly normal part of the aging process.
The short answer is no, osteoporosis cannot be completely reversed and is not considered curable, but there are a number of health and lifestyle adjustments you can make to improve bone loss. Your provider may also prescribe you medications to help rebuild and slow down bone loss.
It affects almost 20% (1 in 5) of women aged 50 and over and almost 5% (1 in 20) of men aged 50 and over.
Bone fractures, particularly in the spine or hip, are the most serious complications of osteoporosis. Hip fractures often are caused by a fall and can result in disability and even an increased risk of death within the first year after the injury. In some cases, spinal fractures can occur even if you haven't fallen.
But "you can live with osteoporosis for a long, long time and never have complications such as fractures -- if you take certain precautions," says Felicia Cosman, MD, osteoporosis expert and medical director of the clinical research center at Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, N.Y.
Stage three is when you're considered to have osteoporosis. In this stage, your bone loss far exceeds your bone growth, putting you at a higher risk for fractures. Unless you experience a fracture, you likely won't have any other symptoms in this stage, except for a bone density of -2.5 or lower if you're tested.
No. The mean residual life expectancy of a 50-year-old man beginning osteoporosis treatment can be estimated at 18.2 years and the residual life expectancy of a 75-year-old man beginning treatment estimat- ed at 7.5 years. The corresponding estimates in women are 26.4 years and 13.5 years.
Pain is not a symptom of osteoporosis in the absence of fractures. Following a fracture, bones tend to heal within six to eight weeks but pain and other physical problems, such as pain and tiredness or fatigue, may continue.
You may or may not experience pain with a diagnosis of osteoporosis. Pain typically occurs with a fracture and may last for several months. Your health professional can guide you in how to manage this acute pain using medicines and other strategies. Some people continue to experience pain after a fracture has healed.
If you have stronger pain, you can try codeine, dihydrocodeine and Tramadol. These can also be combined with paracetamol, such as Co-codamol, Co-dydramol and Tramacet. Co-codamol combines paracetamol and codeine and comes in different strengths. Your doctor can help you decide which dose is suitable to treat your pain.
Osteoporosis can cause painful and debilitating broken bones called fragility fractures. These fractures can compromise a person's ability to walk, cause deformities and loss of height, and significantly lower quality of life.
Key points about osteoporosis
The bones most often affected are the hips, spine, and wrists. Women are 4 times more likely to get osteoporosis than men because of a decrease in estrogen after menopause. Risk factors for osteoporosis include aging, race, body weight, and certain medicines.
Arthritis and osteoporosis are significant contributors to disability, with almost 16% (in 2003) of Australians with a disability reporting one of the two to be their main disabling condition.
The best non-drug treatments for slowing/stopping progress of osteoporosis are: – Good diet with adequate protein (huge issue for older women, who tend to consume too little). – Adequate levels of Calcium, Magnesiun, Vitamin K, Vitamin D3 & Zinc.