Information on Osteoporosis

My mother who used to be a very strong and very independent woman decreased very quickly. It was about two years ago when my mother was diagnosed with Osteoporosis. She already had osteoporosis badly by the time she was diagnosed. Her bones were already thinning and showing signs of a curved spine. It was June 28^th, 2009, when my mother bent over to tie her shoe and she felt something pop in her back. When she woke up the next day, she was in severe pain. We ended up calling for an ambulance because we could not get her to the car and I knew that she did something bad to her back. Therefore, when she go to the hospital and was able to get some x-rays we found out she had six fractured vertebrae, and two compressed vertebrae. She can feel her legs and walk with help. However, now she is in a back brace and on complete bed rest. She went from being very strong, to very weak and frail. My mother also went from an independent woman to being very dependent on her family. Why am I telling you my personal story? The reason is that I am about to give you some information on what Osteoporosis is, who can be affected by it, the prevention of the disease, what tests are required for diagnosis, and what the medications and treatments are for this disease.

What is Osteoporosis? Well Osteoporosis is a disease in which occurs in the bones. As this disease takes over the bones become very fragile and they break easy. It tends to affect the hip, spine, and wrists. However, this disease can affect any bone within the body. While it is important to know what Osteoporosis is, it is also important to understand whom it may affect.

When someone hears about Osteoporosis, picture of an elderly woman with a hunched back comes to mind. However, this is not the case. Osteoporosis can happen earlier in life and yes men can get it. "While woman are four times more likely than men to develop the disease..." . However, men are, also suffer from this horrible disease. Although both women and men are able to be suffering from Osteoporosis, it is possible to prevent it from occurring.

One of the important steps to prevention is to understand what your risk factors are for getting Osteoporosis. One of the risk factors that need consideration is age. Even though all ages can suffer from this disease, it is the older people who are most likely to suffer from it. Another factor is gender. If you are female then you will have a higher chance to get this bone disease. However, men can lose bone density due to this disease. Reviewing family history is another step to finding out what kind of risk you have. If the body weight is too low, the person's body is small and thin then the person has a higher risk than the heavier and/or larger people do. However, heavier and/or larger people can also get Osteoporosis. Although, anyone can get Osteoporosis it is more common in people that are Caucasian, Asian, and Latino decent. Another risk factor is when people who have a history of breaking bones during their adulthood are at a greater risk for Osteoporosis if they do not already have it. After a woman goes into menopause, their chance of getting the bone disease increases. In addition, if a woman has an extreme decrease in estrogen levels and missing periods they will have an increased chance in getting Osteoporosis. If a man's testosterone levels are low, also they too increase their chance at suffering from this horrible bone disease. A persons diet can help decrease the risk factors. The diet includes intake of minerals and vitamins such as Calcium, vitamin D, Phosphorous, Magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. It is also important for the bones to have protein however too much of it especially animal protein can decrease the calcium levels in the bones. Limiting the amount of caffeine, soft drinks, and sodium from the diet can also decrease the risk of Osteoporosis. If you consume foods with 100% wheat bran then take calcium supplements about two hours before or after eating the bran foods. This is because it will decrease the ability for the absorption of calcium from other sources. Some of the other risk factors that can affect a person's bones include inactive lifestyle, smoking, and the abuse of alcohol. Medication can also cause bone loss. Some of these medications include aluminum containing antacids, antiseizure medications, aromatase inhibitors, cancer chemotherapeutic drugs, Cyclosporine A and FK506, glucocorticoids, gonadotropin releasing hormone, heparin, lithium, medroxyprogesterone acetate for contraception, methotrexate, proton pump inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, Tamoxifen®, Thiazolidenediones, and thyroid hormones in excess. There are diseases and medical conditions that can lead to Osteoporosis. These include AIDS/HIV, blood and bone marrow disorders, breast cancer, eating disorders, kidney disease, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and many more. If you must take medication and/or have a medical condition or disease that could cause bone loss then you must consult your physician and begin to take calcium and vitamin D supplements to try to prevent any further damage. Even though there are ways to prevent bone loss there are tests that should be done if anyone or combination of the previous risk factors are met that needs to be none to diagnose Osteoporosis early.

There are about five bone density tests. There is the central DXA (dual energy x-ray absorpitometry), pDXA (peripheral dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), QUS (quantitative ultrasound), QCT (quantitative computed tomography), and pQCT (peripheral quantitative computed tomography). The best places to take these tests are the spine or the hip. If it is not possible to take the tests on the spine or the hip then the forearm, heel, or wrist will be the next options. After these tests are taken and if the results come back positive for Osteoporosis then the physician may want to start medications and/or treatment right away.

Medications and treatment for Osteoporosis is a vital part in slowing down the loss of bone density. Calcium and vitamin D supplements will be the two important forms of treatment for the bone disease. Estrogen medications to help increase the hormone level that could help protect the remaining calcium in the bones. The other medications that could play in a role in treating Osteoporosis include Bisphosphonates, Alendronate, Ibandronate, Risedronate, Zoledronic Acid, Raloxifene, Parathyroid Hormone, and Teriparatide. These are some of the medications but there may others that the physician that may want to prescribe to his/her patient.

Throughout my personal life I have done all the bad things too my bones except for alcohol and smoking. I have drinking soft drinks, especially diet sodas since I was about five years old. My parents did not know any better and my doctor diagnosed me with ADHD and so told them that if they gave me coffee and/or sodas I would calm down. Therefore, they did. I have been addicted to them since. I literally get a bad headache and get sick to my stomach if I do not get at least one a day. Sounds crazy but this is the case with me. I also have very bad eating habits. I tend to eat very little when I am stressed, which I am most of the time, and I love to eat meat a lot. Therefore, I get a lot of protein in my diet, which as stated above is bad because the access protein is robbing me of my calcium. I also am not able to drink too much milk because of a very sensitive stomach. I however eat a lot of yogurt, so that helps. I also have a hard time taking the supplements because of a difficulty swallowing the large pills. However, from watching my mother go through what she is with her Osteoporosis has opened my eyes. I know am forcing myself to take supplements, eat properly, drink milk, and do anything else that I have to do to try to prevent myself from getting this disease.

Sources:

Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Testing, What the Numbers Mean. (2008). Retrieved July 7, 2009, from National Osteoporosis Foundation: http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/bmdtest.htm

Medications to Prevent & Treat Osteoporosis. (2008). Retrieved July 7, 2009, from National Osteoporosis Foundation: http://www.nof.org/patientinfo/medications.htm

Prevention. (2008). Retrieved July 7, 2009, from National Osteoporosis Foundation: http://www.nof.org/prevention/risk.htm

What is Osteoporosis? (2008). Retrieved July 6, 2009, from National Osteoporosis Foundation: http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/index.htm