Osteoporosis

The word Osteoporosis mean a bone with lot’s of hole in it”.

Often called the “silent disease”

Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones and makes them weak and more likely to break.

Osteoporosis can effect all your bones but most breaks happen in:

The wrist

The spine

The hip

Osteoporosis is more common in women after the menopause (when your periods stop).

Osteoporosis can also affect men.

Everyone can get Osteoporosis when they are older. Osteoporosis is not a life threatening disease (it will not make you die)

What can cause Osteoporosis?

Low body weight

Not getting enough calcium or vitamin D in your diet.

Early untreated menopause (If your periods stop before you are 45 years old)

A family history (Your mother and grandmother had broken hip bones before they were 75 years old)

If you have a disability or disease that means you can’t move your body very much

Smoking

Drinking alcohol

Coeliac disease (when you can’t eat food that contains wheat, barley, oats or rye)

Inflammatory conditions like arthritis (pain in your joints)

What can I do to prevent Osteoporosis?

Take regular exercise

Drink milk (full fat or low fat) and eat cheese

Eat oily fish like mackerel or salmon or sardines

Eat green vegetables

Eat nuts

Eat dried fruits

Eat liver

Stop smoking

No alcohol

Take Calcium and Vitamin D supplements

What are the treatments for Osteoporosis?

Medicines that helps your bones to grow stronger

Life-stage groupCalcium (mg/day)Vitamin D (IU/day) Infants 0 to 6 months Infants 6 to 12 months to 3 years old to 8 years old1, to 13 years old1, to 18 years old1, to 30 years old1, to 50 years old1, to 70-year-old males1, to 70-year-old females1, >70 years old1, to 18 years old, pregnant/lactating1, to 50 years old, pregnant/lactating1, Recommended Calcium and Vitamin D Intakes Source: Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, 2010.

Be careful! Don’t fall over and break a bone

Talk to your healthcare provider about bone health

When to Talk to Your Doctor About Osteoporosis Consider talking to your doctor about being evaluated for osteoporosis if: 1.You are a man or woman over age 45 or a postmenopausal woman and you break a bone. 2.You are a woman age 65 or older. 3.You have lost height, developed a stooped or hunched posture, or experienced sudden back pain with no apparent cause. 4.You have been taking glucocorticoid medications such as prednisone, cortisone, or dexamethasone for 2 months or longer or are taking other medications known to cause bone loss. 5.You have a chronic illness or are taking a medication that is known to cause bone loss. 6.You have anorexia nervosa or a history of this eating disorder. 7.You are a premenopausal woman, not pregnant, and your menstrual periods have stopped, are irregular, or never started when you reached puberty.