Osteoporosis: A Silent Disease

Are you having severe back pain? Do you look smaller due to stooped posture? You might have osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a silent disease in the bone. It makes the bone weaker and more likely to break that even a mild stress like coughing can cause fracture.

According to reports that in 10 people affected with osteoporosis, 8 of them are women and 2 of them are men. And it is considered as a “SILENT DISEASE”. In the early stages of bone loss, you will not feel pain or notice in any symptoms but once it became weak by osteoporosis you may notice the following symptoms:

• Back pain
• Loss of height over time
• Fracture of the vertebrae
  

Other than age there are other risk factors of osteoporosis. According to NOF (National Osteoporosis Foundation), here are the factors that increase your risk of osteoporosis:

• Personal history of fracture after age 50
• Current low bone mass
• Being female
• Being thin and/or having a small frame
• Advanced age
• A family history of osteoporosis
• Estrogen deficiency as a result of menopause, especially early or surgically induced
• Abnormal absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea)
• Anorexia nervosa
• Low lifetime calcium intake
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Use of certain medications, such as corticosteroids and anticonvulsants
• Presence of certain chronic medical conditions
• Low testosterone levels in men
• An inactive lifestyle
• Current cigarette smoking
• Excessive use of alcohol
• Being Caucasian or Asian, although African Americans and Hispanic Americans are at significant risk as well
  

Is there something we can do to prevent osteoporosis if we have one of these risk factors? The answer is yes. There are a lot of things you can do to strengthen your bones and decrease the risk of osteoporosis. These include:

1. Eat a healthy diet that is rich with calcium and vitamin D.
2. Regular exercise.
3. Healthy lifestyle. No smoking and alcohol drinking.
4. Visit a physician about bone density testing so that you will be able to monitor you bone density is normal to your age.