Steps to Prevent Osteoporosis

Posted by Donna Mae Scheib on May 24, 2018

Steps to Prevent Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes your bones to become weak and brittle so the bones (i.e., most often hip, spine, and the wrist) fracture or break more easily upon falling or by undergoing mild stresses like bending over or even coughing. You may not know that you have this disease until the bone actually fractures or breaks.

Someone diagnosed with osteoporosis has difficulty creating new bone tissue that is continually broken down and replaced in their body. When you are young, your bone mass increases. But after about age 25, bone mass is actually lost faster than it is created.

Prevalence of Osteoporosis

Both men and women are affected by all races, however Asian and white women and those who are past menopause suffer the highest risk of osteoporosis. The risk is also higher with those individuals who have cancer, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney or liver disease, lupus, multiple myeloma, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Additional Risk Factors

There are several additional risk factors that lead to osteoporosis. These include those individuals with:

• Body frame size: a smaller body frame
• Dietary factors: a lower calcium intake, being underweight and restricting food intake, and having undergone gastrointestinal surgery (e.g., the stomach surface area is reduced for absorbing nutrients, including calcium)
• Family history: if your parents or a sibling has had osteoporosis, especially if they have had a hip fracture
• Gender: women are more likely than men
• Hormone imbalance: too much or too little of certain hormones reduce bone loss (lowered sex hormones─testosterone in men and estrogen in women; too much thyroid hormone if you have an overactive thyroid or if you take too much thyroid medication to treat an underactive thyroid; overactive parathyroid and adrenal glands)
• Lifestyle choices: a sedentary lifestyle devoid of exercise and activity, excessive alcohol consumption, and tobacco use
• Steroids and other medications: extended use of injected or oral corticosteroid medications as these interfere with the bone-rebuilding process as well as medications used to prevent cancer, gastric reflux, gastric reflux, and seizures

Prevention of Osteoporosis

Regular Exercise

Regular exercise especially any weight-bearing exercise and activity that promotes balance and good posture help the bones get stronger and slows bone loss. Walking, running, stair climbing, skipping rope, dancing, swimming, cycling, playing tennis, skiing, and weightlifting are known to be particularly helpful. In addition, balance exercises such as tai chi can reduce the risk of falling as you age.

Good Nutrition

Good nutrition is essential for building blocks of bone. Adequate protein and calcium are important. A variety of protein sources such as lean meat, fish, and poultry as well as beans, lentils, edamame, green peas, peanut butter, and quinoa should be a part of your daily diet and also low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese. The daily amount of calcium for women over 50 and men over 70 is 1,200 milligrams. Calcium-dense foods include low-fat products, dark green leafy vegetables, canned salmon or sardines, soy products like tofu, and calcium-fortified cereals and orange juice. If it difficult to get enough protein or calcium in your diet, you can take supplements recommended by your doctor. Vitamin D is also important to help your body absorb calcium and improve bone health. Sunlight is a natural source of this vitamin, but if you live at a high latitude or if you are restricted to your house for any number of reasons, then adding this vitamin through food or supplements on a daily basis is essential. Up to 4,000 international units of vitamin D a day is safe for most people.

Symptoms of Osteoporosis

It is often hard to detect the early stages of osteoporosis. However, as the disease progresses, there are typical symptoms: a bone fracture that occurs quite easily, back pain due to a fractured or collapsed vertebra, a gradual and continuous loss of height, and a stooped posture. A bone density test administered by a doctor will determine the strength of your bones. If detected, the next step for medical personnel is to suggest appropriate treatment to improve your bone density. This often consists of a nutrition plan, an exercise plan, and possibly physical therapy, vitamin supplements or other medications, and safety items (a walker or cane and orthopedic shoes to prevent excessive falls and to maintain overall balance).

In Conclusion

It is never too late to take a pro-active stance toward strengthening your bones and combatting osteoporosis. Proper nutrition and exercise go a long way to help maintain your bone strength and to slow bone loss and prevent bone fractures and breaks. An awareness of safety measures will help to avoid falls and to keep your balance. What steps can you take to help prevent osteoporosis?  

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