What you do not know about osteoporosis
Osteoporosis affects many individuals at different stages of life, but if this does not happen, it is associated with advanced age, meaning that it is inevitable, but there are some habits and advice that individuals must follow to delay this happening as much as possible, follow the following article with us to learn a lot of information on this topic.
Osteoporosis
Infection with osteoporosis makes the bones very weak and vulnerable to fracture from the slightest thing that affects them, to the point that a sneeze may cause this to occur or a slight collision with some things, and the fractures that the individual is exposed to due to osteoporosis are mostly in the areas of the hip, wrist, and spine, and the bones are in nature It is in the process of constantly breaking and changing, but the incidence of fragility is a result of the inability to keep up with the damage that occurs to the bones and their renewal.
Also, most likely, an individual may not show any symptoms when he has osteoporosis in its early stages, but as it develops over time, the following symptoms may begin to appear:
- The presence of severe back pain as a result of the fracture or erosion of the vertebral bones.
- Over time, short stature is noted due to a severe decrease in bone density.
- Body curvature and hunching.
- Bone fractures without a strong reason for this to happen.
The rate of osteoporosis
Doctors measure the percentage of osteoporosis by doing bone density tests in which the percentage of minerals in the body such as calcium and phosphorus is measured and this examination is done using X-rays, and if the bone density is less than a certain value, this indicates that the individual has osteoporosis, and some signs appear in the examination, such as (T) and (Z), and the examination is considered by a specialist, and here is an explanation of these signs.
Sign (T)
This sign indicates the standard deviation of bone density, which is compared with the proportions of healthy people of the same sex and age, and examples of percentages from which osteoporosis is inferred are:
- -1 or higher: This indicates that the bone density is normal and that there is nothing wrong with the individual.
- Between -1 and -2.5: In this case, the bone density is less than normal, and this means that one is at risk of developing osteoporosis.
- -2.5 and less: This indicates a very low bone density and that the person has osteoporosis.
Sign (Z)
An individual’s bone density is compared to the bone density of people of similar age, size, and sex as if the Z score is less than -2, this indicates that the bone density is very low compared to other people, and this indicates that there is another reason for osteoporosis other than age.
Prevention of osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is inevitable and inevitably affects a person immediately after advancing age, but some preventive methods can be followed to delay this occurrence as much as possible and reduce its risk when it comes, and here are some tips that you can follow for that:
Doing exercise
When exercising, care must be taken that the weights are carried correctly, in addition to distributing the body weight during the movement evenly on the feet, and examples of such exercises include regular walking, running, dancing, and climbing stairs.
Take adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D
An adult needs 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium daily, and this can be obtained regularly by relying on foods that are rich in calcium, such as:
- Low-fat dairy products.
- yogurt.
- dried fruit.
- Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and beans.
- Almond milk.
- Legumes.
As for vitamin D, the natural individual needs 400 international units (IU) of it daily, but it is difficult to obtain it from foods only, and the individual needs to be exposed to sufficient sunlight and take nutritional supplements when needed, and examples of foods that Be rich in Vitamin D:
- Red meat.
- Fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, and mackerel.
- Vitamin-fortified breakfast cereal.
- liver.
- Yolk.
Avoid falls or violent movements
The individual must be very careful not to be exposed to any risks, and for this, it is better to wear shoes that are not slippery and avoid throwing things randomly on the ground or moving in a dark place, and if the individual suffers from poor vision, he must wear glasses to be able to see clearly and prevent stumbling.
Avoid bad habits
Be careful not to overeat tea, coffee, and soft drinks exaggeratedly, as they greatly affect bone health, in addition to the need to stop smoking because of its severe damage to the entire body.
Causes of osteoporosis and treatment
Many reasons lead to osteoporosis, such as:
- The lethargy of the body and lack of any sports activities.
- Family history with this disease, as having someone around you with osteoporosis may increase the chance of developing it.
- A severe deficiency in the amount of vitamin D and calcium in the individual’s body.
- Excessive obesity may lead to osteoporosis in many cases.
- Not eating useful and healthy foods for the individual that contain phosphorus, calcium, and other vitamins.
- An increase in the percentage of sodium in the individual’s body as a result of not drinking enough water.
- Smoking because it causes a decrease in bone density.
- Drinking a lot of soft drinks, which reduces the body’s ability to absorb calcium, which is beneficial for bone health.
Osteoporosis treatment
- Use of hormonal drugs to compensate for the needs of the body.
- Ensure to follow a healthy diet that is rich in vitamins and important elements for the human body.
- Avoid drinks that reduce the body’s ability to absorb calcium, such as soft drinks and caffeine.
- Persistent exercise in order strengthens the bones and increases their softness to be more solid.
Osteoporosis medication side effects
Medicines that are used in the treatment of osteoporosis have many side effects, and therefore it is not recommended to take them at all except under medical supervision, and examples of damage caused by:
- Causing redness or severe swelling, stomach pain, or swelling where the injection was given.
- Feeling very dizzy and fast heart rate.
- The individual may become allergic to the drug and this matter is very dangerous, as he may develop a swollen tongue, difficulty breathing, and in many cases, he may develop a rash.