Osteoporosis 101: What You Need to Know About Bone Loss

Osteoporosis is a disease that decreases bone density, impacting the strength, structure, and health of bones. Living tissue like bone, muscle, and more make up every part of the human body. As part of a beneficial and natural cycle, tissues break down and regenerate consistently throughout a lifetime. 

With that in mind, different aspects such as age, lifestyle factors, medical conditions and more can affect the rate of tissue breakdown. In short, bones that degenerate quicker than they’re created can lead to osteoporosis.

How Does Bone Loss Affect Overall Health? 

If you’ve seen a skeleton, it’s easy to understand how bones establish the frame of our bodies. These mineral-rich structures support muscles that fix to bony processes. A coordinated cooperation between muscles and bones enables walking, stretching, and moving. In addition, movement influences the health of other areas such as the lymph and cardiovascular systems. 

But that’s not all; bones create an essential aspect of life. The marrow, a spongy inner part of the bone, produces blood cells that bring nutrients and oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues. Additionally, bones store and release minerals like calcium and phosphorus. 

Due to its varied roles, bone loss can impact health on many levels. Further, a major concern is that weak bones lead to fractures and breaks, which can be devastating and painful. In the United States, Asia, and Europe alone, approximately 75 million people have osteoporosis. Further, osteoporosis can be sneaky, and many people are unaware they have this disease. 

Understanding Osteoporosis and Bone Loss

Early detection starts with a grasp on the details. Like most processes in the body, age has great influence. Often, bone density peaks in a person’s late 20s and diminishes as years progress. Albeit it’s normal for bone to degrade with age, but when breakdown is excessive, it could be cause for concern. 

Risk Factors for Developing Osteoporosis 

If osteoporosis is more than simply part of aging, what contributes to its development? Risk factors such as low estrogen levels in postmenopausal women, family history, and genetics can play a role in developing this metabolic disorder. 

Further, lifestyle choices such as a diet low in calcium, vitamin D, and other essential nutrients are risk factors. Likewise, habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, inactivity, certain medications, and other medical issues also give rise to an increased chance of osteoporosis. 

Signs, Symptoms and Diagnosis

Understanding the early warning signs is key to prevention and management of this disease. Symptoms such as unexplained neck and back pain, loss of height, brittle nails, dental issues, reduced grip strength, joint pain and more can be signs of bone loss. In addition, subtle symptoms before a fracture can include inability to bear weight, numbness or tingling, bruising or discoloration. 

If you have any of the above risk factors, checking bone density levels might be a smart option. Tests such as the Dual Energy Xray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan give a clear picture of bone density levels that can empower you with information and help establish a care plan. 

Finally, osteoporosis is a disease that affects more than just bone health. It’s important to check with your medical provider to adopt effective preventative measures and lead a healthy, happy life. Concerned about bone loss? Schedule a bone density test and consult the Osteoporosis Center and MMI for personalized advice.