If you feel concerned that you are at risk of or are experiencing osteoporosis, you should arrange to see your doctor. By treating osteoporosis early, you have the best chance of avoiding broken bones as you get older.
Talk with your doctor about an earlier scan if you have any warning signs or risk factors for osteoporosis: a bone fracture after age 50. sudden back pain. loss of height or increasingly stooped posture.
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.
The bones that make up your spine (vertebrae) can weaken to the point that they crumple and collapse, which may result in back pain, lost height and a hunched posture. Bone fractures, particularly in the spine or hip, are the most serious complications of osteoporosis.
The impact of osteoporosis can be devastating, but it is treatable, and preventable.
Does osteoporosis affect life expectancy? Osteoporosis is not a terminal illness and does not directly influence life expectancy. However, having a fracture can affect it. For example, a 2021 study found that older adults living in a care facility who experienced a hip fracture had a 25% death rate after 3 months.
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.
Get plenty of calcium and phosphorus to maintain healthy, strong bones and keep your muscles, nerves, and other cells functioning properly. Exercise! It's never too late to begin regularly performing exercises, especially strength training and stretching.
In addition to managing your osteoporosis, it's important to avoid activities that may cause a fracture. Such activities include movements that involve twisting your spine, like swinging a golf club, or bending forward from the waist, like sit ups and toe touches.
Exercise is an important part of an osteoporosis treatment program. Research shows that the best physical activities for bone health include strength training or resistance training. Because bone is living tissue, during childhood and adulthood, exercise can make bones stronger.
Osteoporosis is more common in women. 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.
People with osteoporosis are at risk for decreased mobility because their bones are susceptible to fracture. And, fractures—particularly in the hips and spine—can threaten your ability to move freely.
Osteoporosis is not reversible, but medication, a nutrient-dense diet, and weight bearing exercise can help prevent further bone loss and rebuild bones. Osteoporosis weaken bones so that they are more likely to break.
Symptoms of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is called a “silent” disease” because there are typically no symptoms until a bone is broken. Symptoms of vertebral (spine) fracture include severe back pain, loss of height, or spine malformations such as a stooped or hunched posture (kyphosis).
Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, and climbing stairs, can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss. Avoid substance abuse.
Regular exercise and a healthy diet are important for everyone, not just people with osteoporosis. They can help prevent many serious conditions, including heart disease and many forms of cancer. Make sure you have a balanced diet that contains all the food groups to give your body the nutrition it needs.
It's not clear why people with osteoporosis may experience fatigue, but it could be because your body is lacking in vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to both poor bone health and make you feel tired. Another connection may be between certain medications taken for osteoporosis.
Bisphosphonates are usually the first choice for osteoporosis treatment. These include: Alendronate (Fosamax), a weekly pill. Risedronate (Actonel), a weekly or monthly pill.
Osteoporosis is a disease that causes weak, thinning bones. This leaves the bones at greater risk of breaking. 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.
Stage 2. In stage two, you've entered the time when your bone loss is happening faster than your new bone can form. You still won't have any symptoms, and your bone density scores may be lower, possibly indicating osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis, and your bone density is anywhere from -1 to -2.5.
Sudden, severe back pain that gets worse when you are standing or walking with some relief when you lie down. Trouble twisting or bending your body, and pain when you do. Loss of height.
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.