How to Reduce Your Risk of Breaking a Bone Due to Osteoporosis
SDI Productions / Getty Images
Medically reviewed by David Ozeri, MD
Osteoporosis is a bone condition in which the bones become weak and can break easily. Fortunately, in some cases, osteoporosis may be prevented and even reversed to a degree. Your bones are made up of living tissues in a constant state of breakdown and repair. Old cells are broken down, and new ones move in to replace them. Unfortunately, sometimes more bone cells are lost than can be replaced with new ones. This is what happens in osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis Risk Factors
Anyone can get osteoporosis, but some people are more prone to it than others. Osteoporosis is more common in people assigned female at birth. One in every five women over age 50 gets osteoporosis, while only one out of every 20 men over 50 gets it. Other factors that can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis include:
Taking certain medications long-term, such as anti-seizure medications, proton pump inhibitors, or corticosteroids
A family history of osteoporosis
Low estrogen levels in women or low testosterone levels in men
Poor nutrition, especially a diet low in calcium and vitamin D
A sedentary lifestyle or prolonged periods of bed rest
Surgery to remove your ovaries before menopause
Being underweight
People who are white or of Asian descent
Smoking cigarettes
Heavy alcohol consumption
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
Older age
When hormone production decreases in menopause, people assigned female at birth may lose bone mass quickly for several years. After menopause, bone loss continues but at a slower rate. However, around age 65-70 everyone loses bone mass at about the same rate.
Reducing Your Risk
You can prevent osteoporosis, especially if you begin early. Proper nutrition and exercise during childhood can help you develop and maintain optimal bone health and density. The greater your bone mass when you become an adult, the lower the chances are that you will develop osteoporosis.
As an adult, you can continue to build and maintain bone health by taking a few simple steps and precautions:
Eat a balanced, nutritious diet: Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, healthy proteins, and calcium-rich foods, such as low-fat dairy products and calcium-fortified foods.
Get plenty of vitamin D: Usually, 15 minutes of sun exposure daily can produce enough vitamin D in an adult, and you can increase that even more with your diet. Eggs, oily fish, fortified dairy items or juice, and mushrooms all have vitamin D.
Maintain a healthy weight: Low body weight can increase your risk of osteoporosis.
Stay active: Weight-bearing activities, like walking, and strength and balance exercises are crucial to maintaining strength and bone mass.
Get screened for osteoporosis: This is especially true if one or both of your parents were diagnosed with osteoporosis or were prone to breaking bones.
Use a cane or walker as recommended by your healthcare provider: Install and use nightlights and handrails in the bathroom as needed. Get rid of loose rugs and other tripping hazards.
Take precautions to prevent falls: This may involve using an assistive device such as a cane or walker, moving to a home without stairs, replacing your bathtub with a standing shower, and/or wearing non-slip shoes, among other factors.
Limit or avoid substance use: Drinking alcohol and consuming tobacco products increase your risk of osteoporosis and associated complications.
Symptoms of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is considered a “silent disease” because you may not know you have it until you break a bone—usually your hip, spine, or wrist.
Most bones break because of a fall or some other traumatic event. But with osteoporosis, your bones can weaken to such an extent that broken bones can occur much easier. Sometimes, simply bumping into something or coughing can break a bone. If you have osteoporosis, you may also have a more difficult time recovering from a broken bone, or it may have lasting results, such as pain that will not go away.
The bones in your spine may break or collapse, which may make you unable to stand up straight, or you may become shorter.
After a hip fracture, some people need help getting around safely and may not be able to live on their own anymore. Sometimes, this increases your risk of an earlier death.
Treatment Options
If you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, your healthcare provider will focus on slowing or stopping bone loss to prevent fractures. In addition to continuing the health recommendations to help prevent the disease, they may suggest these steps to improve and possibly reverse osteoporosis:
Exercise regularly: It is important to engage in frequent low-impact exercise, being careful to not put excessive strain on your bones. Avoid high-impact activities, such as jogging or running.
Seek professional guidance: Visit a physical therapist or exercise physiologist to improve your balance and strength.
Take recommended supplements: Take any supplements your provider recommends, such as calcium or vitamin D.
Follow your treatment plan: Your healthcare provider may prescribe medication that can help slow bone loss, prevent broken bones, or even rebuild bone strength and may reverse the disease to some extent. Or they may adjust any current medicines that you are taking if they suspect they may add to your bone loss.
Focus on safety and fall prevention: Falls can occur due to your direct environment, such as having loose rugs or too many stairs.
Get an Annual Physical
Your provider will probably recommend a bone density test when you reach menopause or if you have a medical condition that increases your risk for osteoporosis.
A bone density test is a scan that can detect low bone density before it develops into osteoporosis, diagnose the condition, or monitor the effectiveness of treatments. A regular X-ray may not detect osteoporosis on its own, so other screening methods may be required.
Women ages 65 and older should get a bone density test with repeat screenings every 2-3 years or when symptoms occur. However, if you are a postmenopausal woman and 64 and younger speak with your healthcare provider about getting screened. Additionally, for men 65 and older speak with a healthcare provider about your risk for osteoporosis and whether you should have a bone density test.
Related: Should You Be Worried if Your Joints Crack All the Time?
A Quick Review
Osteoporosis, which is a condition characterized by weakened bones prone to fractures, can be prevented and managed through various measures, including proper nutrition, exercise, and avoiding risk factors like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Early detection via bone density tests is crucial, as osteoporosis often lacks symptoms until fractures occur.
Treatment focuses on slowing bone loss, preventing fractures, and possibly reversing the condition through medication, supplements, and exercise. Regular follow-up with your healthcare provider and adherence to your treatment plan is essential for effective management and reducing your risk of breaking or fracturing a bone.
For more Health.com news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Health.com.
