{"id":1522,"date":"2023-02-26T13:04:24","date_gmt":"2023-02-26T13:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/?p=1522"},"modified":"2023-03-06T13:15:53","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T13:15:53","slug":"osteoporosis-causes-prevention-and-treatments-for-bones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/osteoporosis-causes-prevention-and-treatments-for-bones\/","title":{"rendered":"Osteoporosis &#8211; Causes, Prevention, and Treatments for Bones"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The word osteoporosis literally means &#8220;porous bone,&#8221; and the condition that this term describes refers to weakened bones that are more susceptible to unexpected and sudden fractures. In other words, osteoporosis means decreased bone density, strength, and mass. What makes the disease even more severe is the fact that it usually develops without any pain or apparent symptoms and remains undiagnosed until a fracture happens, usually in the wrist, hip, or spine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this article, our team of <\/span><a href=\"\/carreras-medical-center\/internal-medicine-specialist-hialeah-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">primary care specialists in Hialeah, FL<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, has compiled the essential information about brittle bones, covering all the noticeable symptoms of osteoporosis and discussing osteoporosis treatment options.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">After reading this article, feel free to <\/span><a href=\"\/carreras-medical-center\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">contact Carreras Medical Center<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> if you have any more questions or concerns about this condition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>About Osteoporosis<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The condition affects an estimated 200 million people across the globe, occurring both in men in women. However, women are generally four times more likely to develop the condition than men.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">More specifically, one in four men and one in two women will experience a fracture related to brittle bones in their life after the age of 50.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Osteoporosis is responsible for around two million fractures yearly. Fortunately, there are some steps people can take to prevent the condition from developing, and there are effective osteoporosis treatment options that can slow the rate at which the patient loses bone density.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Osteoporosis Causes<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1524\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Causes.jpg\" alt=\"Unknown Woman-doctor and Female Patient Sitting and Talking at Medical Examination in Sunny Clinic, Close-up.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Causes-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Causes-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Causes-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Causes-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Causes-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Causes-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Causes.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When the condition develops, the holes in the sponge-like inside of the bone (the trabecular bone) start to grow, weakening the inside of the bone and making the cortical bone (the shell of the bone) less resistant to outside pressures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bones protect our vital organs and support our bodies, storing minerals like calcium. When the body requires more calcium, it usually does this through bone remodeling (breaking down and rebuilding them); until age 30, people generally build more bone than they lose. After the age of 35, the breakdown process happens faster than the building, which leads to a gradual loss of bone mass. In the case of osteoporosis, the loss of bone density occurs at a greater rate, and for women after menopause, the breakdown process becomes even more pronounced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Causes and Symptoms of Osteoporosis\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Several factors may increase the risk of developing the condition. Still, the two most common risk factors are age and gender.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Gender and age<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Women usually undergo rapid bone density loss during the first decade of entering menopause, as decreased estrogen levels will promote bone loss. While everyone is at risk for osteoporosis factors as they age, postmenopausal women or women after 50 have a far greater risk of developing the disease. Research also suggests that Asian and Caucasian women are more likely to develop the condition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Body weight and bone structure<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thin and petite people are more prone to osteoporosis because they have less bone mass to lose when compared to individuals with larger frames.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Family history<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">People with grandparents or parents with osteoporosis are more likely to deal with the condition themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Specific medical conditions<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The following problems related to irregular hormone levels may also increase the risk of developing osteoporosis:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Overactive adrenal, parathyroid, or thyroid glands<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Previous weight loss surgery or organ transplant<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Prostate or breast cancer hormone treatments<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A history of missed periods<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Inflammatory bowel disease<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Multiple myeloma<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the other hand, some medication side effects damage the bones and promote osteoporosis. Medications for seizures, steroids, and breast cancer drugs, can all potentially increase the risks of osteoporosis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Lifestyle habits<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lastly, people who eat a diet poor in Vitamin D and calcium or have anorexia or bulimia are at greater risk for osteoporosis. Tobacco smokers and those who drink alcohol regularly are also more likely to develop the condition. Individuals who sport a sedentary lifestyle are also at a higher risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fortunately, all of these lifestyle habits can be changed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the other hand, there are usually no osteoporosis warning signs. Still, the following may be considered symptoms of osteoporosis:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Height loss by an inch or more<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Posture changes like bending forward and or stooping<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shortness of breath<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lower back pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bone fractures<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Diagnosing Osteoporosis<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Providers typically order bone health tests to understand the patient&#8217;s bone density better. BMD or bone mineral tests or Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA or DEXA) scans are usually ordered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These X-ray tests use a tiny amount of radiation to help determine the bone mass in the wrists, hips, or spine.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Osteoporosis Treatment<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1525\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Treatment.jpg\" alt=\"Doctor With Laptop and Pregnant Woman in Doctor\u2019s Office\" width=\"1000\" height=\"619\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Treatment-200x124.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Treatment-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Treatment-400x248.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Treatment-600x371.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Treatment-768x475.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Treatment-800x495.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/03\/Osteoporosis-Treatment.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Treatments may include taking mineral and vitamin supplements, medications, and exercise. Supplements and exercise are often the go-to options that experts recommend to help prevent osteoporosis in the first place.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Medications<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Providers may prescribe several different types of medication to address the problem of brittle bones. Your doctor will work with you closely to find the best osteoporosis treatment option and program that caters to your needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Hormone therapies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> like testosterone, estrogen, and selective receptor modulator raloxifene may be used in men and women, respectively, based on their preferences and risk factors.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Biologics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> include injectable compounds that are taken every six months. These are usually prescribed when other options fail.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Bisphosphonates<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are antiresorptive drugs that prevent the body from reabsorbing the tissue of the bone.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Anabolic agents<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> like romososumab-aqqq and teriparatide are injectibles that help build bone in people with decreased bone density.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Supplements<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Getting enough vitamin D and calcium is vital both in treating and preventing osteoporosis. Consult with your doctor about creating a supplement and diet plan to help you reach your goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The recommended daily amount of calcium is between 1,000 mg to 1,200 mg. Regarding vitamin D intake, it&#8217;s best to talk with your healthcare provider, who may recommend blood tests to help assess the necessary amount of daily vitamin D you should take.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Preventing the Condition<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lifestyle and diet are both crucial in preventing and controlling osteoporosis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">That said, eating a calcium-rich diet with dairy products, fish, broccoli, kale, dried figs, and calcium supplements is all essential.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Vitamin D may be taken as a supplement, or you can opt for fortified milk. Still, the best way to get enough vitamin D is by exposing yourself to sunlight a few times every week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the rate of bone loss. Regular exercises like weightlifting, jogging, walking, and aerobics are all excellent for strengthening your bones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What&#8217;s more, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpguide.org\/articles\/addictions\/how-to-quit-smoking.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">quit smoking<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and refrain from overconsuming alcohol and high amounts of caffeine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Prevention Starts With Healthy Choices<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As you can see, there are several steps you can take to slow down the bone loss process. Eating well, exercising, and laying off smoking, drinking, and caffeine can all help you prevent osteoporosis. Also, patients who are currently dealing with the condition should know that several treatment options and strategies can make life with brittle bones easier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To learn more about treatment and preventive measures, feel free to contact our experts today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The word osteoporosis literally means &#8220;porous bone,&#8221; and the condition that this term describes refers to weakened bones that are<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1523,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[497],"tags":[500,502,498,499,501],"class_list":["post-1522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-osteoporosis","tag-bone-density","tag-brittle-bones","tag-osteoporosis","tag-osteoporosis-treatment","tag-symptoms-of-osteoporosis"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1522\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}