What is Osteoporosis?

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About Osteoporosis:

Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens your bones.
It makes your bones thinner and less dense than they should be.
People with osteoporosis are much more likely to experience broken bones (bone fractures).
Most people don’t know they have osteoporosis until it causes them to break a bone.
Osteoporosis can make any of your bones more likely to break, but the most commonly affected bones include your:
- Hips (hip fractures).
- Wrists.
- Spine (fractured vertebrae).
What causes osteoporosis?
- Bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced.
- Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep up with the loss of old bone.
Symptoms:
- Osteoporosis doesn’t have symptoms the way lots of other health conditions do. That’s why healthcare providers sometimes call it a silent disease.
- The most common “symptom” is suddenly breaking a bone, especially after a small fall or minor accident that usually wouldn’t hurt you.
- Once your bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, you might have signs and symptoms that include:
Back pain, caused by a broken or collapsed bone in the spine.
Loss of height over time.
A stooped posture.
A bone that breaks much more easily than expected.
Treatment: Treatment for osteoporosis may involve:
- Making lifestyle changes, such as changing your diet and exercise routine
- Taking calcium and vitamin D supplements
- Using medicines to strengthen bones

Q1: What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.

Source: TH