Osteoporosis Facts – Part II

Posted on by

osteoporosis

What is the danger of osteoporosis?

  1. Fractures! The most common osteoporotic fractures are of the wrist, spine, shoulder and hip.
  2. Most hip fractures are caused by falls. A hip fracture is more than a broken bone. Breaking your hip is usually a major life change. You will probably need surgery, which can take as long as a year to recover from. Persons in recovery from hip fractures are generally unable to walk or drive cars and are often bedridden or in a wheel chair during the long period of healing. [https://www.betterbones.com/osteoporosis/osteoporosis-bone-health-statistics/]
  3. Hip fractures have serious risks associated with them, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
  4. Compression fractures and broken bones from osteoporosis can cause significant pain that lasts for several months.
  5. Spinal compression fractures can cause nerve roots to be compressed; your doctor may recommend surgery to stabilize the crushed spinal bones.
  6. Fractures may lead to a lifestyle that includes taking medicines. Over the counter medicines that help with pain from fractures include acetaminophen (like Tylenol) and NSAIDS, which are anti-inflammatories, (like Ibuprofen and Naproxen). Regular use of NSAIDS may mean you have to take another medicine known as a proton pump inhibitor to protect your digestive system. If pain from fractures is extreme, you may need to take prescribed narcotics.

Steps to slow osteoporosis progression include:

  1. Build strong bones by performing weight-bearing exercise most days for about 30 minutes. Weight bearing exercises include walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, weight lifting and aerobics.
  2. Perform resistance exercises 2 or 3 days a week. Resistance exercises include free weights and resistance bands.
  3. Have a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Calcium is found in many foods, including dairy products like milk and yogurt. If you think ‘re not getting enough calcium in your diet, check with your doctor about taking supplements. Brand names with proven reliability are best. Avoid coral calcium as so far there is no scientific proof it is effective against osteoporosis.
  4. Avoid
  5. Limit alcohol to no more than 2 drinks a day for men, and for women. no more than 1 drink a day.
  6. 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day is safe if your diet has adequate calcium.
  7. Your doctor may prescribe bisphosphonates or another medication and possibly, but less commonly, hormone therapy.
  8. Avoid trip hazards, for example loose carpets, that can cause falls. Be careful when lifting or carrying items as this can cause spinal fractures. With advanced osteoporosis mild movements, such as bending over or coughing, can cause the spine to fracture. [https://www.karmanhealthcare.com/medical-health-issues/osteoporosis/] [https://www.karmanhealthcare.com/medical-health-issues/osteoporosis/].
  9. Be aware that certain medications increase the rate of bone loss including some anti-seizure medications, chemotherapy, proton pump inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteoporosis].

 

Article researched and copy written by Laughing Fox Designs, providing results driven website development and social media actions to start-ups, small businesses and mid-size companies.  ©2018 All Rights Reserved