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Osteoporosis in Women |
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What is Osteoporosis?Osteoporosis is a disease that thins
and weakens bones to the point where they break easily. This disease often
affects bones in the hip, spine, and wrist.
How does it occur?In young healthy adults, bones continue to grow, reaching their greatest strength around ages 20 to 35. After that, bones slowly become weaker as you get older. The risk of osteoporosis increases with age. Osteoporosis usually develops in women after menopause, between the ages of 45 and 55. Women have less bone mass than men and lose bone mass sooner and faster than men. After menopause women produce much less of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen helps women's bones stay strong. For example, it helps deposit calcium in the bones. Low levels of estrogen cause a weakening of the bones. Osteoporosis is most common in white and Asian women, especially slender women, but it can occur in women of any race. You are also at higher risk if you have a family history of osteoporosis. In addition to aging, other causes of osteoporosis are:
What are the symptoms?You may have no symptoms until a bone breaks. Broken bones are the most common problem for people with osteoporosis. Often it's the hip, arm, or wrist that breaks. The bones of the spine are also a common area of thinning. Often, over time, the bones of the spine (vertebrae) collapse on themselves, one at a time, causing loss of height, back pain, and a stooping posture. How is it diagnosed?Your health care provider may discover you have osteoporosis from an x-ray taken for some other problem. Otherwise, the diagnosis might be made from a review of your medical history and symptoms, a physical exam, x-rays, and blood tests. You may have a test to measure your bone mineral density, such as a DEXA scan. How is it treated?Treatment does not cure osteoporosis, it but can slow down the loss of bone and rebuild some bone. Treatment includes increasing the calcium your body gets, usually through diet and supplements. Most adult women should have 1000 mg of calcium a day. Women who are pregnant or who are breast-feeding need 1200 to 1500 mg per day. Postmenopausal women who are not taking estrogen supplements also need 1200 to 1500 mg a day. Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking or stair climbing, also helps keep your bones strong. Doing this kind of physical activity every day may help stop further weakening of your bones. There are several medicines that slow bone loss and help reduce fractures. These include:
These medicines are prescribed if your bone mineral density tests reveal osteoporosis despite adequate exercise, calcium intake, and no smoking. They may also be prescribed if you have already had a fracture due to osteoporosis. Your health care provider might recommend that you take estrogen to replace the some of the hormone your body is no longer producing. This treatment is called estrogen therapy or hormone therapy. You and your health care provider should discuss the risks and benefits of hormone therapy for you. Factors such as your age, race, family history, and health history must be considered. Hormone therapy helps prevent osteoporosis (loss of bone density). However, hormone therapy increases the risk for heart disease or stroke. It can also increase the risk of breast cancer and blood clots. If you decide to start taking estrogen, you may take it as tablets to be swallowed, patches to be put on the skin, a vaginal ring, a cream to be put into the vagina, or pellets placed under the skin. If you still have your uterus and want to take estrogen, you will need to take progesterone with the estrogen because taking estrogen alone will increase your risk of cancer of the uterus. If your uterus has been removed, it is OK to take just estrogen. Ask your health care provider about any side effects or special precautions you should know about while you are taking hormones. Make sure that your provider knows about any other medicines you are taking. How long will the effects last?The risk of a broken bone resulting from osteoporosis increases with age. Once menopause begins, most women, especially Caucasian and Asian women, need to take precautions for the rest of their lives to prevent osteoporosis. How can I take care of myself and help prevent osteoporosis?
What can I do to reduce my risk of injury?If you have osteoporosis, you can reduce the risk of injury and broken bones if you:
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nopausis : meno- + Greek pausis, pause;
see pause.]