Continuing with my blog on Brittle Bones.
In today’s blog, I am writing about how Osteoporosis makes the bone brittle.
Bone is a living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone does not keep up with the loss of old bone. Osteoporosis affects men and women of all races. But white and Asian women, especially older ones who are past menopause, are at higher risk. Medicines, healthy diet and weight-bearing exercises can help prevent bone loss or strengthen weak bones.
Symptoms
There typically are no symptoms in the early stages of bone loss. But once your bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, you might have signs and symptoms that include:
- Back pain caused by a broken or collapsed bone in the spine.
- Loss of height over time.
- A stooped posture.
- A bone that breaks much more easily than expected.
When to see a Doctor
You might want to talk to your health care provider about osteoporosis if you went through early menopause or took corticosteroids for several months at a time, or if either of your parents had hip fractures.
Causes
Your bones are in constant state of renewal. When you are young, your body makes new bone faster that it breaks down old bone and your bone mass increases. After the early 20s this process slows, and most people reach their peak bone mass by age of 30. As people age, bone mass is lost faster than it is created.
Risk factors
Some risk factors for osteoporosis are out of your control, including:
- Your sex-Women are much more likely to develop osteoporosis than are men.
- Age-Thee older you get, the greater your risk of osteoporosis.
- Race- You are at greatest risk of osteoporosis if you are white or of Asian descent.
- Family History- Having a parent or sibling with osteoporosis puts you at greater risk, especially if your mother or father fractured a hip.
- Body frame size-Men and women who have small body frames to have a higher risk because they might less bone mass to draw from as they age.
- Lowered sex hormones also tend to weaken bones, thyroid hormone can also cause bone loss.
Dietary factors
Osteoporosis is more likely to occur in people who have
- Low calcium intake
- Eating disorders- being underweight weakens bone in both sexes.
- Gastrointestinal surgery- surgery to reduce size of stomach or to remove part of intestine limits the amount of surface area available to absorb nutrients.
Medical problems
The risk of osteoporosis is higher in people who have certain medical problems including celiac disease inflammatory bowel disease, kidney or liver disease, cancer, multiple myeloma and rheumatoid arthritis.
Some bad habits like sedentary lifestyle, excessive alcohol consumption and tobacco use increase the risk of osteoporosis.
Complications
Bone breaking in spine or hip are the most serious complications of osteoporosis. Hip fractures often are caused by fall. In some cases broken bones in spine can occur even if you have not fallen, this is because of weakening of vertebrae which can lead to its collapse.
Prevention
Good nutrients and regular exercise are essential for keeping your bones healthy throughout your life.
Calcium– Men and women between ages of 18 and 50 need 1000 mg of calcium per day, this increases to 1200mg when women turn 50 and men turn 70. Good source of calcium are low-fat dairy products; dark green leafy vegetables; soya product such as tofu; and calcium fortified cereals etc. Many calcium supplements are also available in the market.
Vitamin D– It improves the body’s ability to absorb calcium and improves bone health in other ways. Sunlight is natural source of Vitamin D. Most people need at least 600 international unit (IU) of vitamin D per day, which increases to 800IU after the age of 70. To supplement you can have medicines which can give you desire IUs.
Exercise– It can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss. Exercise will benefit your bones no matter when you start, but you will gain the most benefits if you start exercising regularly when you are young and continue to exercise throughout your life. Combine strength training exercises with weight-bearing exercises and balance exercises.
Hoping this information will help you in keeping your bones healthy.
Waiting for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
26th February 2025