Osteoporosis

What happens if you have a disease that causes your bones to weaken, becoming more and more fragile before eventually breaking?  Chances are, you are suffering from osteoporosis. 

Usually causing fractures in the spine, wrist, and hip, osteoporosis is a debilitating disease that mustn’t be left untreated or bones will break.

Although osteoporosis can affect any of your bones, it wreaks special havoc on the spine and the hip.  This is because nearly every time you fracture your hip, you face the idea of surgery.  Hip fractures resulting from osteoporosis hinder your ability to walk and could lead to serious future problems.  By the same token, fractures to the backbone can also lead to things like deformity and severe back pain.

Who is at risk for osteoporosis?  While it affects women more than men, men also suffer from the disease.  It represents itself by low bone mass, degeneration of the tissue in your bone, fragile bones, and easy fractures.  The good news is that this disease can be treated and prevented. 

There are many things you can do to lover your risk of osteoporosis.  The first is to eat healthier.  The second is to maintain physical activity.  An inactive, lazy lifestyle increases your chances of contracting osteoporosis.  If you are a smoker, you should take steps toward breaking the habit.  You should also limit your alcoholic beverage consumption since excessive drinking has been linked to osteoporosis.  You also want to be sure that your body gets enough calcium needed to build healthy bones.   If you are unsure of good food sources for calcium, all dairy products are great sources along with green leafy vegetables, or orange juice.  If you are not sure if you’re getting enough calcium, don’t hesitate to incorporate a daily supplement into your diet.   Although you can’t take a magic pill that will ensure you’ll never suffer from osteoporosis, you can make lifestyle changes that lower your risk factors, keeping your body fit and healthy.