The Disease

Osteoporosis is a disease which makes your bones susceptible to fractures and breakage. The more you age, the chances of your bones weakening increases. Medically speaking, Osteoporosis leads to the decrease in the density of bone and thereby, its strength as well. Under extreme cases, the bones become porous and spongy and can lead to multiple fractures.

The Cause

The weakening of bones can be triggered by many factors like:

• Genetic defects or a history of weak bones in the family
• Lack of physical exercise
• Personal history of frequent fractures
• Deficiency of calcium and vitamin D
• Excessive smoking and alcohol consumption
• Low body weight
• A history of rheumatoid arthritis

Age is also a factor when it comes to this disease. Generally, the bone mass tends to decrease after you reach the age of 35 and that is the time when you need to take care of your bones the most.

Women tend to be at risk of this bone loss more than men, especially after menopause.

Symptoms

Osteoporosis, as a disease doesn’t have any telling symptoms which can help you confirm you’re suffering from it. Most of the times, a fracture leads to the diagnosis of osteoporosis. However, there are still some mild symptoms which can warn you of an impending setting of the disease.

• Constant backache can mean your bones are weakening
• A decrease in your height with time
• Developing a stooped posture
• Frequent fractures of the wrist, spine or hip

If you’re suffering from any of these, SDC strongly advises you to consult a specialist soon.

Testing

There are many effective ways through which your doctor and SDC can diagnose whether you are suffering from Osteoporosis or not.

Bone Mineral Density Test (BMD): At SDC, we have state-of-the-art machine to thoroughly test your Bone Mineral Density in detail. It shows how dense are your bones and the weak areas as well. Through this test, you can know the exact condition so that that you can start the treatment as soon as possible.

A routine X-ray: A routine X-ray can be helpful in detecting osteoporosis. However, in most of the cases, around 30% of the bones are already lost before a patient comes to know about suffering from the disease. Hence, x-ray has its limitations.

DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray absorptiometry scan): This scan is quite thorough, focusing mainly on the hip, spine and forearm. Using very little radiation, the machine can effectively measure your bone density to determine the level of damage to your bones.

Remedies

When it comes to treating osteoporosis, the basic CDE’s can be quite helpful along with the medications.

The basic CDE’s stand for C (calcium), D (vitamin D) and E (exercise).

If you are serious about taking care of your weak bones, you can start with strictly making some lifestyle changes. Those include regular exercises, quitting smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and fixing a balanced diet for yourself which are rich in Calcium and Vitamin-D.

Furthermore, keep having your doctor’s prescribed bone strength increasing and bone loss decreasing medications.