What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis, which literally means “porous bones”, is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced meaning the bones become more porous and fragile resulting in a greater risk of fracture.
The bones in our skeleton are made of a thick outer shell and a strong inner honey comb mesh of tiny struts of bone. Osteoporosis means some of these struts become thin, making the bone more fragile and prone to break after a minor bump or fall.
These broken bones are often referred to as fragility fractures, and can occur in different parts of the body. However, the wrist, hip and spine are the most commonly affected areas of the body.
After the age of 35, bone loss increases very gradually as part of the natural ageing process. This bone loss becomes more rapid in women for several years following the menopause and can lead to Osteoporosis and an increased risk of broken bones, especially later in life.
Osteoporosis Symptoms
Osteoporosis develops slowly over several years. It is likely that there will be no warning symptoms before a minor fall or sudden impact causes a bone fracture. Healthy bones should be able to withstand a fall from standing height, so a bone that breaks in these circumstances is known as a fragility fracture.
When the bones are significantly weakened (a low bone mass), breakages of the wrist, hip or spinal bones (vertebrae) are most common. A cough or a sneeze may cause the fracture of a rib or the partial collapse of one of the bones of the spine.
A fractured bone in an older person can be serious, depending on where it occurs. It may lead to long-term disability. For example, a hip fracture may lead to long-term problems with mobility.
One visible sign of osteoporosis is the characteristic stooping (bent forward) position that occurs in older people. It happens when the bones in the spine are fractured, making it difficult to support the weight of the body.
Consequences of Osteoporosis
Having Osteoporosis does not automatically mean that your bones will break, it just means that you have greater risk of a fracture. Thin and fragile bones are themselves not painful, however, the fractures that can result from them can be painful.
Osteoporosis does not generally slow or stop the healing process and breaks will still heal in the same was as they do in people who do not have Osteoporosis, usually in about 6 to 8 weeks.
Preventing Osteoporosis
Although our genes decide the potential height and strength of our skeleton, the way we live our life can also play a part in the amount of bone we invest in our bone ‘bank’ during our youth and how much we save as we get older.
Childhood-Early adulthood: Important to maximise bone strength by ‘banking’ as much bone as possible during these years, putting you in a better position combat natural bone loss that occurs in later life. This is achieved by taking plenty of weight bearing exercise and eating a well-balanced and calcium rich diet.
Osteoporosis becomes more common with age as the density of bone decreases and bones become less strong and more fragile. Falling over is much more common due to poor balance and co-ordination leading to a higher risk of breaking a bone. In addition to this, as we get older we absorb nutrients less efficiently with many older people acquiring smaller appetites.
Lifestyle changes and keeping active can help to prevent falling such as reducing the number of hazards that could cause you to trip or fall:
- Take your time using stairs and hold onto the rail
- Loose rugs or carpets, trailing wires, slippery floor surfaces and poor heating and lighting can increase your risk of falling
- Other health problems such as Parkinson’s disease, arthritis or stroke are common causes of falls and some medications can increase your risk of falling by affecting your balance