You may have a fractured bone that requires evaluation and treatment. If you need help finding a primary care doctor, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool. When your body breaks down your bone tissue faster than it can create more, it causes osteoporosis.
Taking immunosuppressive medications and steroids, like prednisone, can also increase your risk for osteoporosis. Seizure medications and thyroid replacement therapy if dosage is too high can increase this risk as well. Your doctor may detect osteoporosis by measuring your bone density. A machine called a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DXA machine, can scan your hip and spine to determine how dense your bones are compared to other people of your gender and age.
A doctor can interpret the results, letting you know if your bone density is normal or below normal. Sometimes a doctor will give a diagnosis for osteopenia , or low bone mass. Osteoporosis can increase the risk for bone fractures, particularly for the wrist, spine, or hip. The effects of spinal fractures can cause a person to become shorter because fractures can shorten the spinal column.
In some instances, bone fractures may require surgery. Fractures can increase your risk for disability or death, according to the Mayo Clinic. Treatment for osteoporosis includes medications to help build bone mass. The medications often have hormonal influences, stimulating or acting like estrogen in the body to encourage bone growth. Examples of medications used to treat osteoporosis include:.
Romosozumab Evenity is a newer medication that was approved by the FDA in April to treat women who have gone through menopause and are at a high risk of having fractures.
Kyphoplasty is a surgical treatment for fractures. Kyphoplasty involves using small incisions to insert a small balloon into the collapsed vertebrae to restore height and function to the spine. Regular weight-bearing exercises help to build bone mass. Examples include weightlifting, dancing, jogging, or racquet sports like tennis. After that, calcium needs often increase to between 1, and 1, mg. Foods that are rich in calcium include:. Get vitamin D on a daily basis. Vitamin D is vital to helping the body absorb calcium.
Most people need international units IU of vitamin D each day. About 15 minutes of daily sun exposure can stimulate vitamin D production.
Foods such as fortified milk, egg yolks, and salmon also have vitamin D. You can also make sure you are wearing the right prescription glasses to prevent falls due to poor vision. Certain exercises can help with balance and grip strength as you walk around your home or outside. See a physical therapist for help creating a balance training program.
Often these are events that would only have left bruises in your younger days, but when you have osteoporosis, they can cause serious damage and even increase your chances of dying prematurely. You do not have to live through osteoporosis pain in silence.
There are a number of solutions available, though your overall health may dictate your best options for pain management. For example, says pain specialist James Fortman II, MD, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the University of Cincinnati, "if a patient is elderly and has failing kidneys, we can manage their pain so they can live comfortably, but we might not recommend interventional surgery.
Your experience with pain and its resolution are unique, so don't compare your pain with that of a friend who has been through a similar procedure or event. And remember, says Fortman, that your willingness to actively participate in pain management directly affects your success in easing pain symptoms.
By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Bone fractures, particularly in the spine or hip, are the most serious complications of osteoporosis. Hip fractures often are caused by a fall and can result in disability and even an increased risk of death within the first year after the injury. In some cases, spinal fractures can occur even if you haven't fallen. The bones that make up your spine vertebrae can weaken to the point of collapsing, which can result in back pain, lost height and a hunched forward posture.
Good nutrition and regular exercise are essential for keeping your bones healthy throughout your life. Men and women between the ages of 18 and 50 need 1, milligrams of calcium a day. This daily amount increases to 1, milligrams when women turn 50 and men turn If you find it difficult to get enough calcium from your diet, consider taking calcium supplements. However, too much calcium has been linked to kidney stones.
Although yet unclear, some experts suggest that too much calcium, especially in supplements, can increase the risk of heart disease. The Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that total calcium intake, from supplements and diet combined, should be no more than 2, milligrams daily for people older than Vitamin D improves the body's ability to absorb calcium and improves bone health in other ways.
People can get some of their vitamin D from sunlight, but this might not be a good source if you live in a high latitude, if you're housebound, or if you regularly use sunscreen or avoid the sun because of the risk of skin cancer.
Dietary sources of vitamin D include cod liver oil, trout and salmon. Many types of milk and cereal have been fortified with vitamin D. Most people need at least international units IU of vitamin D a day. That recommendation increases to IU a day after age People without other sources of vitamin D and especially with limited sun exposure might need a supplement. Most multivitamin products contain between and IU of vitamin D.
Up to 4, IU of vitamin D a day is safe for most people. Exercise can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss. Exercise will benefit your bones no matter when you start, but you'll gain the most benefits if you start exercising regularly when you're young and continue to exercise throughout your life. Combine strength training exercises with weight-bearing and balance exercises. Strength training helps strengthen muscles and bones in your arms and upper spine. Weight-bearing exercises — such as walking, jogging, running, stair climbing, skipping rope, skiing and impact-producing sports — affect mainly the bones in your legs, hips and lower spine.
Balance exercises such as tai chi can reduce your risk of falling especially as you get older. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
0コメント