Whew, this is a tough one.
I have been thinking a lot about ageing lately. When I went for a routine medical appointment last week my PA asked when I last had a bone scan.
It was four years ago and I was showing signs of osteopenia in my spine and mild osteoporosis in one hip.
My mother had osteoporosis and shrank five inches. The PA told me that osteoporosis is more common in Caucasian women.
So I am scheduling another bone scan and being more proactive with my bone care.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a term that means porous bones. It is a disease and it weakens your bones.
People who have osteoporosis are at greater risk for bone fractures.
You can have osteoporosis without any symptoms or pain and may not know you have it until you have an unexpected fracture.
These fractures are most common in the hip, wrist, and spine.
Who Is At Risk For Osteoporosis?
Did you know that after age 35 bone breakdown occurs faster than bone buildup, and this causes a gradual loss of bone mass? YIKES!!
After menopause this bone mass loss increases.
Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.
In the US approximately 54 million people have osteoporosis and osteoporosis is responsible for over 2 million fractures each year.
Osteoporosis Symptoms
There is a reason that osteoporosis is called a silent disease.There are usually no symptoms.
However is you develop any of these symptoms you should be checked out.
- Getting shorter by an inch or more
- Noticing that you are stooping or bending forward
- Shortness of breath
- Breaking a bone
- Lower back pain
Diagnosing And Treating Osteoporosis
All women over the age of 65 should have a bone density scan which consists of small amounts of radiation to determine how solid the bones in the spine, hips, or wrists are.
Men over the age of 70 should also consider getting the test done.
If you are a younger woman and have concerns due to heredity, certain medications, or underlying health conditions you should speak to your medical professional about the test.
There are medications available to treat osteoporosis. I am not going to go into them, but if you want to read more about them you can do so here.
Some of the things you can do to protect your bones are weight bearing exercises, calcium supplements, and getting plenty of vitamin D.
If you are concerned about your bone health, please talk to you medical professional. Ostoporosis may be silent, but it can shorten your life.
Thank you for visiting today. I hope you will come back soon, and in the meantime you can find me on Pinterest, Instagram, LTK, and Etsy.
I am glad you wrote about this and are going for a dexa scan. If Osteoporosis is caught early it is easily treatable. Happy Wednesday Laura. xoxo Kris
ReplyDeleteSince my double ankle break, my doctor has me get bone scans every year.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
I come from a long line of women who have osteoporosis. I'm on my way. I don't even know if I spelled it right. You know what gets me mad?? Why do we have to lose and inch? How about instead it causes you to lose 20 lbs and makes your wrinkles disappear?
ReplyDeleteI have my bone density test done every two years. I've show some loss, but so far, thank goodness, nothing significant. I'm doing weight bearing exercises, and taking Vit D in hopes of keeping it at bay.
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