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| | Title: | What is Osteoporosis? | | Article: | Osteoporosis is a condition when your bones become
fragile. That leads to easy fractures. Unprevented
osteoporosis goes painlessly until a bone breaks.
Typical fractures occur in your spine, hip, or wrist,
depending where the strong force is applied.
Most dangerous are hip and spine fractures. A hip
fracture practically always brings patient to a
hospital and requires surgery. The healing is
prolonged. Disability is common. Death may happen
because long staying in bed leads to pulmonary
embolism. Another danger is severe infection.
Vertebral fractures in severe case may lead to
paralysis.
Majority of older people are at risk. Women are
several folds more prone than men, but men may suffer
also.
Osteoporosis happens slowly. It takes years before
doctor or patient becomes aware of the bone condition,
usually in unexpected accident. Osteoporosis silently
steals your bone.
Collapse of spinal vertebrae often produces stooped
posture and a hump. Daily life activities decrease
because of chronic pain and fear to get a broken bone
during routine actions. For example, you misstep or
bend or somebody hugs you.
There are several millions fractures a year due to
osteoporosis. It cost almost 20 billions to treat just
in United States alone. Aging population will bring
these numbers up.
Porous bones leads to easy fragility. Some people, due
to genetics, diet, age and lifestyle, are more prone
to the problem.
Technology and research improved diagnosis and
treatment.
There is no definite treatment, but you may delay the
disease onset.
First line of defense is exercise and diet.
Bone has fibers of protein collagen fortified with
calcium containing minerals. Bone is a dynamic
structure. It continuously renews itself and always
changes due to muscle tension and gravity.
Majority of calcium in the body stays in the teeth and
skeleton. The rest participates in blood clotting,
nerve conduction, contraction of skeletal muscles, gut
and heart. The regulation of calcium is tight. Bones
release calcium when organism is in need. The balance
of bone building and bone breakdown is regulated by
hormones. The bone system is a depot for minerals. In
people older 30 withdrawals are greater than deposits.
Men build bigger bone mass. This is why women get
osteoporosis more often. Estrogen, a female hormone,
drops at menopause. Then bones loose calcium faster.
Around 65 you may loose half of your skeleton.
The bone mineral density is measured by DXA scan.
The method is sort of X-ray, though special one.
Repeated annually the scan determines the rate of bone
loss. Another way to evaluate bones is ultrasound that
is safer and cheaper. A special machine is required.
It is possible to evaluate bone breakdown by a
component in urinalysis. However it does not diagnose
osteoporosis.
| | Author: | Aleksandr Kavokin, MD, PhD | | System: | Bones | | Subject: | Osteoporosis | | Abstract: | Porous bones leads to easy fragility. | | Website: | www.kavokin.com | | Time: | 18:39 | | Reference: | www.rdoctor.com | | Reference 2: | |
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©2006 Kavokin.com
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Articles by Aleksandr Kavokin, MD, PhD
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