The cause of osteoporosis was from decomposed bones that cause low bone mass and low bone density. The bone would get so thin up the fragile point that got broken easily. It is unfortunate for women as this disease occur more often in women than in men. There is a high mortality rate in women from broken hip bone due to osteoporosis.
The most common place to find osteoporosis was the spine; which has to carry all the weight, wrists, hip, arms, and ribs. Its effects include back hump, compressed lung causing shortness of breath, fatigue, panting, including tendonitis, and degraded joint causing you unable to work. This is not entirely an “old people disease.” The disease occurs when you get older, and your body starts to degrade. A weaken body making it easier to caught disease, but how you take care, your body is important as well.
When you are younger, there is more bone formation than bone degradation. Such bone mass could stay on up to 30 years. After that, the bones will start to degrade more than formation. Especially women in their golden age, the degradation would occur two to three times faster than men, which is why this disease is more often found in women.
The followings are those who are at risk:
- People who are at the age of 60-65 years old and it will get worse who older than 80 years old
- Women at their golden age, menopause, or had surgery on ovarian causing the decrease in estrogens and androgens causing women in their menopause four times high risks than men in their golden age
- Family medical history
- Have small figure and lightweight
- Nutrition deficiency, especially calcium and vitamin d
- Barely get sunlight and work in the room with air condition
- No exercise or usually not move for a long time
- Constantly smoke and drink alcohol, coffee, tea and soda drinks
- Patients with intestinal and kidney problems
- Constantly use medicine in steroid group, medication for diabetes and thyroid gland, etc.
The best prevention would be to avoid the abovementioned ten risk factors, especially no. 4-10. You should also eat foods with high nutrition, especially 800-1200 milligrams of calcium, which you can get from milk, eggs, small fish, beans, green leafy vegetables; exercise more often; get more sunlight for more vitamin d; often get a health check up on both your bone and your body.
At present, there are several tests that you can take to diagnose Osteoporosis. The list of which is as follows:
- DEXA Scan: a test using a special type of X-ray that measures bone mineral density. It is known to be very accurate and effective, but expensive as well.
- Measuring bone mineral density (BMD): the average rate of BMD would be > -1.0. The BMD rate of a patient with Osteoporosis is usually around < – 2.5.
- Testing for a bone marker or other components such as:
- P1NP, NMID – testing the rate of bone generation
- Beta CrossLaps – testing the rate of bone loss, which would be reflected in the blood The higher rate showed means more bone loss.
- PTH – a marker that stabilizes the calcium in the blood, commanding the kidney to absorb the calcium back to the body rather than excretion. The rate of this marker could tell whether your body is generating or losing the bones.
- Vitamin D – support the intestine to absorb calcium from food and use it to repair the bones
- Calcitonin – is produced by the thyroid It supports bone generation, prevents loss of calcium in the bones, and control the calcium level in blood.
- Estrogen (main women hormone) and Testosterone (main men hormone): support the kidney to absorb calcium back into the body. After menopause or golden age, these hormones would decrease resulting in a decreased rate of calcium in the blood, including the bone repairing
- Calcium: 99 percent of calcium is found in bones and teeth, and 1 percent is found in blood
- Phosphorus: 85 percent of phosphorus is found in bones, and 15 percent is found in blood and tissues
Do you think it is time for you to take care of your bones yet?