Osteoporosis

What is Osteoporosis?

• Disease of the bones wherein they become weak and brittle, and hence break easily.
• Also known as ‘Brittle Bone Disease’
• Fractures generally occur in the hip, spine and wrist region.
• Hip fractures are considered to be the worst, since they can lead to permanent disability and loss of independence.
• Osteoporosis has no early warning symptoms. However, in recent times, tests for early detection have been made available to the general public.
• It so happens that older women bear the major brunt of this disease.
• 1 in 4 women (over the age of 50) and 1 in 8 men (over the age of 50) have osteoporosis.

Symptoms:

• There are no initial symptoms of the disease.
• Later stage  symptoms comprise of:
• Back pain
• Bending of the spine
• Pain in the joints especially knees, hips and ankles

Diagnosis:

• Doctors use a special kind of x-ray test known as the ‘Bone densitometry’ test

Can Osteoporosis be prevented?

• Yes, it can be prevented by consuming calcium rich food items in ones youth.
• Calcium rich food items include: Milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter milk, beans, spinach, nuts and dry fruits.
• Older people can make use of calcium tablets available in the market.
• Regular exercise can also help prevent osteoporosis.
• Keep away from smoking and excessive consumption of cola drinks, coffee and tea.

Treatment:

• In the case of post-menstrual women, medicines like Calcitonin, Bisphosphonates and Vitamin D and Calcium medicines are generally prescribed.

How to avoid fractures (in case of those who are already affected by Osteoporosis)?

• Be careful of objects that may make one trip, such as door-mats, carpets etc.
• Avoid bending or stretching suddenly or beyond easy reach of objects to be picked up
• Keep your corridors and staircases well-lit
• Your bathrooms must be designed in such a way, so as to prevent water logging and slipperiness.
• Get your eye-sight checked on a regular basis so that you do not miss a step or bump into obstacles and fall