Osteoporosis Bone Health

What is Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a bone disease. It means “porous bone.” Bones become weak and brittle - brittle enough that a fall or even mild stresses can cause a fracture. Most common fractures occur in the hip, wrist or spine. The inside of a normal bone has small spaces, like a honeycomb. If you have osteoporosis, the holes and spaces in the honeycomb are much bigger. This means your bones have lost strength and density and that the structure of your bone tissue has become abnormal.

Symptoms of Osteoporosis There are no symptoms in the early stages of bone loss. You can’t feel your bones getting weaker. Once bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, you may have signs and symptoms that include: *Back pain – caused by changes in the vertebrae *Loss of height *Stooped posture *Bone fracture that occurs more easily than expected

Causes of Osteoporosis The cause of osteoporosis is not fully known. What is understood is that the condition involves a disruption in the bone building process. Hormonal factors, mostly hormone changes that occur during menopause in women or natural aging in men, play a role in the development of osteoporosis. The primary, risk factor of osteoporosis is age. Under normal conditions in the body bones are in a constant state of renewal. New bone is made and old bone is broken down. When you’re young, new bone is made faster than old bone is broken down and your bone mass increases. This happens until approximately the age of 30. As you age, bone is broken down faster than it is being built. This gradually results in a loss of bone mass. Other factors that can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis are race, lifestyle choices and medical conditions and treatments.

Bone Basics- Build Bones In Your Youth Healthy habits as a child or teenager can pay off later in life with stronger bones. Young people can build their bones by eating calcium-rich foods, getting enough vitamin D and exercising regularly. WebMD recommends the following daily intakes for calcium by age : Under 1 year: 200-260 mg 1-3 years: 700 mg 4-8 years: 1,000 mg 9-18 years: 1,300 mg 19-50 years : 1,000 mg 51-70 men: 1,000 mg 51+ women: 1,200 mg 71+ years: 1,200 mg Children and teenagers form bone faster than they lose bone. As you age, you can lose more bone than you form. Take steps to protect you bones at any age.

Exercise for Strong Bones Exercise can help build strong bones and slow down bone loss. Exercise will benefit your bones no matter when you start, but the most benefits will be gained if you start exercising regularly when you are young and continue throughout a lifetime. Two types of exercises that are important for building and maintaining bone density are weight-bearing and strength training exercises. Weight-bearing exercises help build bones and keep them strong. Examples of high-impact weight-bearing exercises: walking, jogging, running, stair climbing, tennis and jumping rope Examples of low-impact weight-bearing exercises: elliptical machine, low-impact aerobics and dancing Strength training exercises move your body, a weight or some other resistance against gravity – Examples: lifting weights, weight machines, resistance tubing and lifting your own body weight *Before beginning any exercise program, you should consult with your healthcare provider*

It’s Never Too Late Osteoporosis is not an inevitable part of aging You are never too young or old to take care of your bones Good lifestyle habits can help you protect your bones and decrease your chance of getting osteoporosis Talk to your healthcare provider about your bone health

Sources www.mayoclinic.com www.nof.org www.webmd.com