Remember your mother telling you to get enough calcium for strong bones and teeth? It’s good advice. Osteoporosis is caused when there’s an imbalance between new bone formation and old bone reabsorption. When you’re an osteoporosis sufferer, your bones literally “thin” out. You lose too much, make too little, or both. Your bones become weaker and more prone to injury, even from a minor fall.
Also known as the “silent disease”, osteoporosis mainly affects women. Bone is constantly removed and replaced with new bone, and by the time bone growth peaks, a man’s bone mass is significantly more than a woman’s. In the past, osteoporosis in men was often underdiagnosed and overlooked, but now that men are living longer, it is diagnosed more often.
Osteoporosis can be hard to identify. Speak to a Doctor on the Hello Doctor app today if you think you might be suffering from the condition.
Strengthen your bone mass
Remember, prevention is better than cure. There are many ways that you can try beat osteoporosis.
- A Vitamin D supplement will give you an extra boost, along with calcium and vitamin-rich foods.
- Get your calcium each day (1 000 to 1 500 mg/day). This is important to attain peak bone mineral density in the young, and prevent bone loss as you age.
- Keep your bones strong with weight-bearing exercises, like walking and muscle-strengthening exercises, like weight lifting.
- Stay safe by having your bone mineral density checked regularly.
- If you have a magnesium deficiency (diabetics, alcoholics or those who are using diuretics), speak to Hello Doctor about taking a magnesium supplement.
- Go easy on the alcohol.
- Quit smoking… now! Cigarette smoke creates huge amounts of free radicals, which are molecules that attack your body’s natural defences. This may lead to damage in your whole body, including your cells, organs, and hormones involved in keeping your bones healthy.
Early treatment
The most important thing to know about osteoporosis prevention and treatment is: earlier is better. There are anti-resorptive drugs available to treat and help osteoporosis, but first speak to your doctor. Anti-resorptive drugs help to slow down bone loss by preventing the function of osteoclasts (large bone cell which absorbs bone tissue during growth and healing).
Parathyroid hormone
This drug stimulates bone formation and prevents bone resorption. It increases your bone mass and bone strength and also reduces the risk of hip and spine fractures. It is, however expensive, and is used to treat severe osteoporosis.
Anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids are by-products of the male hormone testosterone. It stimulates bone formation, decreases bone resorption and improves muscle strength. These agents are usually reserved for the short-term treatment of patients with advanced osteoporosis, especially the frail and elderly, where muscle strength is impaired.
Bisphosphonates
The bisphosphonates (e.g. alendronate, risedronate) are potent, extremely effective, non-hormonal anti-resorptive drugs, which act directly on bone.
There are other options for osteoporosis treatment, so speak to your doctor for the best route.
Good to know
- Nuts are great sources of calcium and vitamins. Try sunflower seeds, almonds and pistachios for a bone boost.
- Vitamin K is required for the proper mineralisation of bone. Get your fix of Vitamin K with dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, turnip greens and Brussels sprouts.
- Potassium helps preserve bone health. Foods high in potassium are sweet potatoes, bananas and prunes.
References
- http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/home/ovc-20207808
- http://www.medicinenet.com/osteoporosis/article.htm