HomeDisabled DatingClassifiedsCommunityDisability ChatDisability Products

Reduce Your Risk of Osteoporosis


By Chris Chenoweth - 2006-09-17 - Viewed 1420 times.
Find more articles like this in our Womens Health Issues category.
Resize  Small - Big  Email Email article      Text only printer friendly Print    



Osteoporosis, which means porous bones, is a condition of excessive skeletal fragility resulting in weakened bones that break easily.

A combination of genetic, dietary, hormonal, age-related, and lifestyle factors all contribute to this condition. Osteoporosis usually progresses painlessly until a fracture occurs, which is usually in the hip, spine, or wrist.

Overall, approximately eight million American women and two million men have osteoporosis. Women are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis because of the loss of estrogen at menopause. (Estrogen slows down bone loss.) Over half of all women over the age of 65 have osteoporosis.

WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR OSTEOPOROSIS?

Factors that can increase your chances of developing osteoporosis include:

Being female

Having a small, thin body frame

A family history of osteoporosis

Being post-menopausal or of advanced age

Being Caucasian or Asian

Abnormal absence of menstrual periods

Anorexia nervosa or bulimia

Low testosterone levels in men

Lack of calcium and vitamin D

Inactive lifestyle

Long-term use of some medications prescribed for arthritis, asthma, and lupus, anti-seizure medications, aluminum-containing antacids, and certain cancer treatments.

Cigarette smoking

Excessive use of alcohol and high salt, protein, and caffeine intake

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE OSTEOPOROSIS?

A family medical history and bone mass measurements are part of a complete assessment. Often a bone fracture is the first sign of osteoporosis. Ask your doctor to help you better understand your own risk and become aware of prevention and treatment options.

Bone density tests: Routine x-rays can't detect osteoporosis until it's quite advanced, but other radiological methods can. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several kinds of devices to estimate bone density. Most require far less radiation than a chest x-ray.

Doctors consider a patient's medical history and risk factors in deciding who should have a bone density test. Readings are compared to a standard for the patient's age, sex and body size. Different parts of the skeleton may be measured and low density at any site is worrisome. Bone density tests are useful for confirming a diagnosis of osteoporosis if a person has already had a suspicious fracture or for detecting low bone density so that preventive steps can be taken.

HOW CAN I PROTECT MYSELF FROM HAVING OSTEOPOROSIS?

Osteoporosis is usually preventable. Females need to take steps to protect the health of their bones while they are still children, and on through their teenage and young adult years. Building strong bones at a young age will lessen the effect of the natural bone loss that begins to occur around age 30. Use the following guidelines:

Eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, such as low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, fish with edible bones like salmon and sardines, and dark green, leafy vegetables, like kale and broccoli.

Do weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, jogging, hiking, playing tennis, and stair climbing. Exercise builds bone and muscle strength and helps prevent bone loss and improves coordination to prevent falls. It also helps older people stay active and mobile.

Weight-bearing exercises, done on a regular basis, are best for preventing osteoporosis. Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

If you are postmenopausal, consider estrogen replacement.

Consider using calcium supplements, but discuss the choice of supplements with your doctor first.

Don't smoke.

Limit alcoholic beverages.

FOODS THAT REDUCE THE RISK/DEVELOPMENT OF OSTEOPOROSIS:

Fruit - In particular those high in Vitamin C, like blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, citrus fruit, kiwi fruit, peaches, mango, cantaloupe melon, apples. Also dried fruit like figs, apricots, and dates.

Vegetables - In particular dark green vegetables like spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, carrots, red bell peppers, sweet potatoes.

Dairy Foods - Low fat milk, yogurt and lower-fat cheese or calcium fortified soymilk & yogurt.

Oily Fish - Rich omega-3 essential fatty acids and high in Vitamin E, like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, tuna and trout.

Nuts and Seeds - Rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids and high in Vitamin E. Unsalted nuts, like walnuts, brazil nuts and almonds, and seeds like sunflower, linseeds and pumpkin seeds.

Pulses and Grains - Including soybeans, wheat germ, lentils, chick peas (garbanzo beans), brown rice, whole wheat bread, bulgur wheat, calcium-fortified breakfast cereals.

Vitamin D - Vitamin D is essential in order to absorb calcium for foods. The best source of Vitamin D is exposing the skin to sunlight. Other sources are fortified margarines and dairy products, fortified breakfast cereals and oily fish.

A healthy and nutritious diet, combined with a regular exercise routine, can greatly reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis. Always check with your doctor before starting any exercise regimen.


Chris Chenoweth writes articles pertaining to health and nutrition, budgeting, and online business.

 

Recent Articles

This webpage uses Javascript to display some content.

Please enable Javascript in your browser and reload this page.

You can print this article by clicking the printer icon at the top this of page.


Question mark symbolAsk, answer questions or add more facts concerning "Reduce Your Risk of Osteoporosis" below.
Your comment will NOT show up right away, it will be sent for approval before it will appear here. Please bookmark this page so you can check back for possible replies and answers to your questions.



Support Disabled World by linking to this article - Reduce Your Risk of Osteoporosis

<a href=http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/osteoporosisbones.shtml>Reduce Your Risk of Osteoporosis</a>


This article is general information ONLY and is NOT a substitute for medical advice or treatment

Copyright © DisabledWorld.com All rights reserved. | Contact us - Terms of service - Privacy policy


Contribute article
Disability chat rooms
Calculators and Charts

Printable Eye Chart
Spinal Cord Picture
Pregnancy Calculator
Blood Pressure Chart
Vitamins and Minerals
Height to Weight Chart
Goldberg Depression Test
Old and New Food Pyramid
Body Mass Index Calculator
Count and Calculate Calories
Fruit and Vegetable Color Chart


Related Articles

Breastfeeding Tips
Postpartum Weight Loss
Candida Diet
Choosing Babys Sex
Tips to Cure a Yeast Infection
Week by Week Guide to your Pregnancy
How Birth Control Pills Work
Breast Cancer - Examination Diagnosis Treatments
Signs and Symptoms of Being Pregnant
How to Manage Myomas
Hysteroscopy
HPV Virus Vaccination
Female Infertility Factors
Prevent Osteoporosis from Ruining Your Life
Pregnancy Trimesters
Herpes and Pregnancy
Teen Self Help
Self Help For Women
Taking Osteoporosis in Stride
Pregnancy Calculator - Babies Due Date Calculator
What are the Signs of being Pregnant?
Causes of Vaginal Dryness
Travel During Pregnancy
PMS Symptoms and Latest Treatments
Women who have Made a Difference
Look Younger and Feel Great
Birth Control and Preventing Unwanted Pregnancy
Teen Pregnancy: How to Tell if you are Pregnant
SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Causes and Prevention
Peri Menopause Symptoms and Relief