Free Secrets to be a Healthy Women

Are you at risk for developing osteoporosis?  Over 34 billion Americans currently suffer from low bone density that can lead to osteoporosis and potentially deadly bone fractures.  Now more than ever, we want to live long and healthy lives, and prolong our active and vibrant quality of life.  Knowing whether you are at risk for developing osteoporosis can help you maintain your quality of life well into your senior years.

Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but research has shown that certain people have a higher risk of developing this disabling disease.  Here are the top 10 risk factors:

1. Women have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis.  Once a woman is post-menopausal, her risk increases further.  Women who have an early or surgically-induced menopause are also at higher risk.

2. Women who are Caucasian or Asian are at a higher risk.  If you are thin and have a small frame, your chances of developing osteoporosis increase.

3. Has your mother had a hip fracture or osteoporosis?  If so, your risk of hip fracture is doubled.

4. A diet low in calcium, either as an adult or as a child, can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis.

5. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium.  Lack of vitamin D is another risk factor for developing osteoporosis.

6. Smoking cigarettes interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium.

7. Excessive alcohol consumption also makes it difficult for calcium to be absorbed.  Bones will be weaker without sufficient calcium.

8. Lack of weight-bearing exercise, or if you have been unable to walk or exercise for an extended period of time can put you at risk.

9. Long-term use of certain medications can cause osteoporosis.  If you have taken certain medications for asthma or arthritis, or have had chemotherapy treatments, check with your doctor to see if you are at risk for osteoporosis.

10. Eating disorders can lead to osteoporosis, because nutrients are not properly absorbed.

If you think you are at risk for developing osteoporosis, see your doctor.  Although osteoporosis is a serious disease, there are ways to prevent osteoporosis and the fractures that can result.  Your doctor can recommend changes in diet and exercise, regular bone density screenings, and medications that help increase bone density and prevent fractures.

Once you understand the risks of osteoporosis and can address them, you’ll be on your way to living a healthy, active lifestyle no matter what your age.

Are you at risk for osteoporosis?  Find out how healthy living and exercise can reduce your risk factors for osteoporosis!

Osteoporosis Can Strike at Thirty
Although osteoporosis is known to appear especially on older people, the truth is that the disease can strike at any age.
Therefore, millions and millions of people are at risk. And not only women even though osteoporosis is associated in most of the cases with them, but also men can suffer from this debilitating condition.
Women are four times more likely to develop the disease than men
Osteoporosis is a disease that makes the bones so fragile and they are more likely to break.
There are no kinds of symptoms, no pain, no warning signs that could alert people about the onset of the disease.
The first indication can be something minor like a fall, a bump or a strain causing easily a break or fracture.
Any bone can be affected, but in many cases fractures occur in the hip, spine or wrist.
Spinal fractures are serious, severe back pain, permanent loss of height and deformity are often the outcome.
Hip fractures are very dangerous. In the most of the cases, they require major surgery.
Both are likely to impair the ability to walk without assistance.
Test have proven that one in every two Caucasian women and one in eight men over the age of 50 are probable to suffer an osteoporosis related fracture at some time in their remaining lifetime.
Some women can lose almost 20% of bone mass only in the first 5-7 years after the menopause, increasing their susceptibility to the disease.
Important factors that can determine the disease are: a thin/small frame, anorexia nervosa, advanced age, post menopause including early or induced menopause, the existence of the disease in the family history, low testosterone in men, sedentary lifestyle, low calcium diet, smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol.Prevention
Osteoporosis is a disease that needs to be prevented. No one is too young to prepare herself or himself to fight against it.
This can begin in early childhood and even teen years by building strong bones, the best foundation for prevention in later years.
The average woman will have acquired 98% of her skeletal mass by the age of twenty.
Good to start at any age, there are three fundamental steps you can take to reduce the chances of suffering from osteoporosis.

Menopause is a traumatic time that has to be faced by every female. It causes a host of changes in your body, and the more you know about it, the better fit you will be to get through it smoothly. In this article, we’ll discuss some facts about menopause so that you can be better informed about this turbulent period in a woman’s life.
- Approximately four thousand women begin menopause per day.
- Roughly one third of a woman’s life occurs after menopause.
- Exercise is a key factor in getting through menopause with a minimum of complications. A regular exercise pattern helps to limit the effects of the uncomfortable symptoms associated with menopause: hot flashes, depression, sleep disorders and irritability can all be lowered through a proper exercise plan. In addition, exercise has merit in preventing the physical aspects of menopause. Osteoporosis and heart disease are more prevalent in those post-menopause, and regular exercise can help to curb these risks.
- While hormone replacement therapy is commonly used to help women get through menopause, it is by no means a complete solution and it has problems associated with it. Estrogen that is used in hormone replacement therapy has been shown to increase the risk of uterine cancer. For this reason, it is important for women who have had past cases of cancer to have a thorough conversation with their doctor discussing the merits and risks of getting hormone replacement therapy.
- Low dosage anti-depressants have long been used to help women get through some of the more mental issues associated with menopause. In addition to helping with post-menopausal depression, anti-depressants can help to reduce the amount of hot flashes that are experienced. Another drug that is commonly prescribed to help menopausal patients with hot flashes is clonidine. This agent is used to help patients with high blood pressure and it has been shown to be effective in reducing hot flashes.
- Eating healthy is a key factor in just how many of the menopausal symptoms are experienced by you. Ensure that you are getting enough calcium and Vitamin D, as these two compounds help your body to deal with bone mineralization, thereby decreasing your risk for osteoporosis.
- Smoking can really affect a woman in menopause. Your risk of heart disease is increased when smoking, and certain studies have shown that smoking may increase hot flashes and actually cause menopause to occur earlier than it should.

If there is one stage of a woman’s life that is hard to cope up with that would be her menopausal years. As defined, menopause is a stage wherein a woman’s monthly period has stopped. Veering away from the common conception that menopause is a “disease,” people in the medical world says that menopause is nothing but a normal and expected change in any woman’s body.
Unlike before when menopause is clouded by absurd misconceptions and myths, people now are more open in discussing the phenomenon because many studies have proven that menopause is a natural step in the process of a woman’s aging. With the advancement of technology and researches, more and more women are given hope that they can still go on with their life by teaching them to discover and rediscover their purpose in life.
Most studies show that the most common determinant of menopause in women is physical changes. Since menopause is associated with absence of estrogen in the body (since the ovaries has stopped producing them), the reproductive system gradually shuts down.
Experts agree that the average age range of menopause in women is form 50 onwards. But there are cases wherein a woman may experience her menopausal earlier especially if she has undergone surgeries, major operations and a series of therapy due to cancer and other illnesses. Other causes of early menopause are autoimmune disorders, thyroid disease, and diabetes mellitus.
Basically, menopausal years are divided into three phases: the premature menopause, which is distinguished for women whose ages are below 40 years old. Next are the menopausal climax years from 50 and above and the post-menopausal, which is experienced by women 50 and above and are those prone to more serious illnesses such as osteoporosis.
KNOWING THE SIGNS OF MENOPAUSE
Experts agree that menopause pertains to the drastic changes in a woman’s life that greatly affects her physical appearance, sexual function, feelings of well-being, and overall mood.
Technically, a woman is said to reach her menopause when there’s an absence of menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. Here are some of the visible symptoms of menopause:
1.Drastic change in the pattern of menstrual periods. This can be characterized by shorter or longer span of time, lighter or heavier flow of menstruation, and more or less time between periods.
2.Occurrence of hot flashes or hot flushes.
3.Profuse night sweating usually followed by a slight chill.
4. Sleep disturbances and trouble getting enough sleep due to physical discomfort.
5.Vaginal atrophy. This is characterized by thinning, drying, shrinking and thinning of the vagina in most women.
6.Psychological instability characterized by mood disturbances, irritability, fatigue, decreased sexual desire, and memory loss. Violent mood swings, crabbiness, and crying spells, which are usually caused by, pent up frustration due to lack of sleep are also common.
7.Inability to concentrate or focus on tasks properly. This is characterized by great deal of trouble focusing on things because the woman feels mixed-up and confused.
8.Hair issues. Women who are experiencing menopause or those who are about to experience it are having trouble dealing with hair issue due to hair loss or thinning on their head. They also experience hair growth on their face, which is quite unlikely for a woman.
9.Increased estrogen deficiency that leads to vasomotor instability characterized by dyspareunia, itching, dryness, bleeding, urinary frequency, urinary urgency, and urinary incontinence.
10.Skeletal problems and muscle pains such osteoporosis, joint pains, and back pains.
As a woman’s body adapt to the ever-changing levels of natural hormones, more and more symptoms can be traced to menopause.
If you want to prepare for this natural occurrence in a woman’s life, make sure that you visit your doctor so he/she could do the necessary diagnosis and examinations to you. After which, proper solution can be provided by your physician depending on your individual need.

Learning how to deal with menopause
A woman’s life is often marked by drastic changes. From adolescence to her menopausal years, women strive to cope up with the remarkable changes that come their way.
According to medical experts, menopause is a very significant time in any woman’s life because this is the time her body goes through a lot of changes. These changesmostly physicalgreatly affect her social, emotional, and intellectual stability. Studies show that when a woman goes through her menopausal years, her feelings about herself and her attitude towards work and life in general changes considerably.
MENOPAUSE FACTS
Menopause is perfectly a natural occurrence in any woman’s life. Unlike before when menopause is dreaded like some sort of disease, medical advances today have proven that a wide range of health care choices can be done to help women cope up with their menopausal stage.
Learning what menopause is all about, what causes it and what are the things that can be done to enhance the quality of life during this phase will help women nearing it understand it fully. Knowledge about it can even teach women how to deal with the phase when it comes.
In medical terms, menopausemeno (menstruation) and pause (stops)refers to the last menstrual flow in a woman’s life or the end of a woman’s menstrual periods. Medical experts say that menopause is a natural part of aging and usually occurs when the woman’s ovaries stop making hormones called “estrogens.” When the ovaries stop producing estrogen, the estrogen level will drop and will halt monthly periods. Low estrogen levels are usually linked to many uncomfortable symptoms in most women. Since estrogen plays a big role in shaping a female’s body in preparation for various female functions such as pregnancy, it’s loss during menopausal years can create a big impact on a woman’s overall well being.
The climacteric spans of menopausal years are usually dated from early or mid 40s to late 50s to early 60s. The entire phase includes the pre-menopausal years (before menopause), the menopausal climax years (during menopause), and the post-menopausal years (after menopause) or the “Change of Life.” Aside from aging, menopause can also be triggered by surgical removal of the ovaries for any other reasons like illness.
Medical experts agree that about 75 percent of women across the globe report uncomfortable symptoms during menopause and these vary from the most common to the most complicated ones. Studies show that the most common symptoms of menopause include hot flashes and vaginal atrophy or thinning, drying, shrinking and thinning of the vagina. Other symptoms include hot flashes along with sudden and violent waves of sweating, irregular periods, vaginal or urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence or inability to control the flow of urine, redness or inflammation of the vagina, ultimate discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse, visible changes in skin, digestive tract, and hair.
Emotional changes like mood swings and depression are also distinguished during pre-menopausal, menopausal, and post-menopausal years.
In the long run, more serious health risks are related to menopause or the lack of estrogen supply in a woman’s body. These include osteoporosis, heart diseases and heart attacks that can be traced due to being overweight or obesity, blood pressure that is monitored regularly, cigarette smoking, illness such as diabetes, high levels of “bad” cholesterol in the body and a low level of physical activities.
Menopause is usually determined after a woman has visited her physician. After the health history and physical examination has been diagnosed and conducted by the doctor, the appropriate therapy is then recommended to improve the menopausal discomfort. If you are on the verge of menopausal and you’re worried how to deal with it, make sure that you ask for professional help before anything gets worse.

Osteoporosis is a condition which makes the bones weak and causing them to break easily. As the bones are fragile the slightest movement can break them, especially joints like the hip, spine and wrists. Increasing age makes you prone to this disease, men over fifty and post-menopausal women are the most common patients of osteoporosis. This breakage of bone occurs within a couple years of menopause due to reduction in estrogen levels. After years of erosion the bones give away causing pain, spinal deformity and fractures.

Some common factors

- Women are more prone to osteoporosis than men.
-Increasing age
-Hereditary
-Low estrogen and testosterone level in women and men respectively.
-Thin and frail body structure or suffering from anorexia nervosa
-Calcium and vitamin D deficiency
-Lack of exercise
-Smoking and drinking alcohol has adverse effects on the bone density.
-Use of certain medication or drugs

Remedies for Osteoporosis

Eat a healthy diet which includes plenty of calcium and vitamin D. Exercise regularly and cut down on alcohol and cigarettes. For good source of calcium have low-fat milk, yoghurt, cheese, orange juice, green leafy vegetable like spinach, cereals and breads.

A twenty minute walk three to four times a week may help you tremendously. You can also go biking, swimming or join aerobic dancing classes to improve the bone condition. Engage in weight-bearing exercises as these help in strengthening the bones. If you have a swimming pool or a beach around your house, go walking in chest deep water for 30 minutes at least three days a week. This prevents stress on your bones hence there is less erosion.

A cup of milk has 100 international units of vitamin D. Four cups a day could be your daily dose of vitamin D. Studies have also shown that post-menopausal women can have supplements containing manganese (5 mg/day), copper (2.5 mg/day), and zinc (15 mg/day) in combination with a calcium supplement (1,000 mg/day). It is termed to be more effective than having the calcium supplement alone.

Consume less salt and avoid food products which have more than 300 milligrams of salt per serving. Stay away from carbonated beverages like cola and soft drinks. The phosphoric acid present in carbonated drinks contains phosphorus, which if had in excess, can cause elimination of calcium from the body.

Studies have shown that vitamin K is very useful in maintaining healthy bones. It is found in green, leafy vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, lettuce and spinach. You can also consume vitamin K supplements.

If you want to increase calcium content include Parmesan cheese in your diet. To lessen fat intake and increase calcium, add powdered non-fat dry milk powder in soups, casseroles and other beverages. Some of the food products that promote healthy bones are avocado, black pepper, cabbage, cod liver oil, Dandelion, garlic, onions, Parsley, Pigweed and Horse tail. Eating pineapple also prevents bone fractures due to the presence of manganese in pineapple.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

At mere mention of the word menopause, women often feel a chill down their spines because they know that when the Big Change comes, which is another term for this stage in a woman’s life, there will be a lot of changes in the body along with annoying symptoms. A lot of women actually fear the months and years prior to menopause because this stage is when women feel symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness, weight gain and many others. And all these are brought about by the decline of female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.Although majority of women feel challenged by the maddening and irritating signs of menopause, the real problem can actually come after the change. The decline in levels of estrogen in the body can actually lead to several complications and serious conditions. The following are some of the most common menopausal complications.Urinary ProblemsAside from higher risk of urinary tract infection recurrence, women who are postmenopausal should also be prepared for problems with incontinence. Since the tissues in a woman’s urethra and vagina become less elastic at the age of 50 or 60, she might find it hard to hold or control urination. More and more women complain of the sudden bursts of urine while coughing, lifting objects, laughing and similar activities. Some even say that their urge to urinate becomes unbearable after menopause.Cardiovascular DiseasesOne serious effect of the decline in estrogen levels is the increased risk of developing cardiovascular conditions. Aside from being a sex hormone, estrogen plays an important role in women’s health. This hormone helps minimize blood pressure by opening and smoothing out the blood vessels. Studies also show that the levels of bad cholesterol can increase as soon as the levels of estrogen dip down. This is the reason why women who are over 51 years old become more prone to stroke, heart diseases and blood pressure problems.Bone Loss and OsteoporosisOsteoporosis is a skeletal disease wherein bones become weak, brittle and more susceptible to fracture. A few years after the cessation of menstruation, women lose bone density at a very quick rate. In fact, over 30% of women at age 65 have osteoporosis, while over 70% have it at age 80. If you want to minimize your risk of osteoporosis when you reach the age of menopause, you better quit smoking now and start exercising and eating healthy.Mental DeclineStudies have shown that estrogen has a profound effect on the mental faculties of women. It seems that this hormone helps prevent loss of memory and decline in cognitive functions which are associated with aging. In fact, experts say that estrogen prompts the production of serotonin and acetylcholine, two neurotransmitters that are absent or exhausted in patients who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.Free radicals are also believed to be responsible for the development of Alzheimer’s. Since estrogen is also considered as an antioxidant, which fights the proliferation of free radicals in the body, the decline in the levels of this sex hormone might contribute to the rise of free radicals in the brain and the eventual development of Alzheimer’s.Vision ProblemsScientists have proven that progesterone and estrogen can shield against cataracts. They also believe that estrogen can help minimize the risk of serious vision problems like macular degeneration and glaucoma.In order to help avert the signs of menopause and deal with the declining levels of estrogen during post-menopause period, you can take supplements that contain phytoestrogen or plant-based substances that mimic the role of estrogen in the body. One product that you might want to try is Menersa. For more details, visit http://www.menersa.com/.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation( www.nof.org) : “Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine, and wrist.”

While any bone can be affected, of special concern are fractures of the hip and spine. A hip fracture almost always requires hospitalization and major surgery. It can impair a person’s ability to walk unassisted and may cause prolonged or permanent disability or even death. Spinal or vertebral fractures also have serious consequences, including loss of height, severe back pain, and deformity.

If you look at healthy bones you will see that there are small holes between the bone cells. In osteoporosis those pores are larger making the bones brittle and easy to break. The best way to prevent osteoporosis is to prevent bone loss in the first place. In Rio Del Mar, California, there are many people who have homes there so they can easily get exercise walking on the beach. Rio Del Mar beach homes are favored by many, but one of the advantages they have over other Santa Cruz beach homes is a very nice long beach and easy access to the sand. This invites exercise which helps strengthen bones.

Children and teenagers form new bone faster than they lose the old bone. This means their bones get denser and denser until they reach what experts call peak bone mass, which happens around 20 years old. After you reach peak bone mass, the balance between bone loss and bone formation might start to change. In other words, you may slowly start to lose more bone than you form. In midlife, bone loss usually speeds up in both men and women. For most women, bone loss increases after menopause, when estrogen levels drop sharply. In fact, in the five to seven years after menopause, women can lose up to 20 percent or more of their bone density.

The best ways to prevent that massive loss of bone is to make sure you keep your calcium levels up. Taking a multivitamin can be helpful, but for menopausal/post menopausal women a higher dose of calcium may be needed. Calcium is nice on its own, but it is only part of the story. Vitamin D helps your body to absorb calcium.

The NOF recommends 1,200 mcg of calcium and 1,000 mcg of vitamin D each day. If you have a severe deficiency of vitamin D you may need to take as much as 100,000 mcg per week.

The third aspect of preventing and treating osteoporosis is exercise. Bones are like muscles– they strengthen as they are used. Here are some exercises that can be done: some are high impact and others are low impact for those who cannot do the high impact exercises.

High Impact Exercises

· High-impact aerobics

· Hiking

· Jogging/running

· Jumping Rope

· Stair climbing

· Tennis

· Dancing

Low Impact Exercises

Elliptical training machines

· Low impact aerobics

· Stair-step machines

· Walking (treadmill/outside)

The best approach to preventing osteoporosis is really three-pronged: keeping up levels of calcium, vitamin D, and exercise. Some of the calcium can be taken from your diet, so can the vitamin D. Leafy green vegetables are often good sources, such as spinach, kale and others. Exercise is a necessary evil for every age group, but is especially important for those of us who are over 50. Getting out and walking is an easy way to start your exercise. While you don’t need a Rio Del Mar beach house, to start, a walk around the block is a great way to start. You will find with more walking a greater connection to your neighbors and community. Start slowly, with your physicians’ guidance and exercise yourself to health and strength. Be sure to check out the National Osteoporosis Foundation’s website at www.nof.org for more information on this process.

View all  Gregg Camp’s articles

What is Osteoporosis?

The term Osteoporosis comprises of two words osteo meaning bone and porosis- porous/fragile/weak. It may be defined as a skeletal disorder affecting the bone strength and predisposing it to increased risk of fracture.

In this disorder there is structural degeneration of the bone tissue leading to low bone mass, fragility and increased susceptibility to fractures.

Bony skeleton is like a strong framework for the human body with which various organs and tissues are suspended. The two basic components of bone are collagen protein which forms a soft network and calcium phosphate which imparts strength and hardness to the bone. There is a homeostasis in our bones regarding continuous degeneration of old bone cells with simultaneous building of new ones. Up to the age of 30 the balance between bone degeneration and repair is almost equal and after that amount of bone loss supercedes the bone gain and osteoporosis sets in.

Who is affected by this disorder?

Although Osteoporosis affects all ages and population but the Post Menopausal women are more vulnerable to it. At present 8.2 million people are affected in India and the figures are epidemically growing. One out of every two women and one in eight men over the age of 50 are suffering from it.

What are the Causes/Risk factors?

There are a lot of triggers /risk factors for Osteoporosis as:

§ Advanced age and post menopausal syndrome: women falling under this condition have altered hormone levels particularly estrogen which in turn leads to Osteoporosis

§ Family history of Osteoporosis

§ Irrational and overuse of Steroids (Like in Asthma, Arthritis etc), thyroid hormones and anti epilepsy(fits )drugs

§ Smoking/alcohol/high intake of junk food/cola

§ Thin boned and small farmed Asian women are at higher risk.

§ Indolent life style-no exercise attitude

§ Dietary Deficiency of Calcium and other vitamins & trace elements

How could I know, I have Osteoporosis?

In most of the cases the disease is silent killer-a symptom less disorder. a person may feel fit today but may get fractured tomorrow.

§ The coexisting symptoms are pain in neck/lumbar region i.e. low back ache

§ Deformity of curvature in spine

§ Recurrent fractures (Non traumatic)

§ Loss of height due to deformity in spine, stooping any

What are the laboratory investigations available?

Routine X-Ray can detect the loss in bony mass only when the disease has progressed in advanced stage.

Bone densitometry mainly DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) is highly effective measure to detect the disorder. It measures the bone mass at hip and spine where Osteoporosis occurs in early stage.

It is very fast painless and accurate test which detects two energy levels and the differences are noted by the computer. The patient under the treatment for Osteoporosis is advised to go through this test yearly to check the progress of the treatment. Moreover this test also measures total fat and lean tissue in body to check the progress of treatment in obese patients.

What does Ayurveda says about Osteoporosis?

Ayurveda which is based upon the concept of Vaat, Pitta and Kapha humors of human body is a holistic therapy. It has enunciated the disease Osteoporosis by name of Asthikshya. Asthi means bone and kshya is loss. According to Ayurveda this disorder is caused by the vitiated Vaata humor and the symptoms are pain in bones, weak nails and teeth, dryness in body, excessive fall of hair, chronic fatigue without any labour and loose joints.

A detailed description of various herbs and formulations which pacify vitiated Vaata and are rich source of Calcium are discussed below.

What are the Preventive measures?

Here are some suggestions:

§ Live an active life style. Exercise daily

§ Running brisk walking, swimming, tennis, cycling, dancing and other weight bearing exercises should be practiced

§ The daily intake of calcium for an adult woman is 1000 mg. So, take adequate quantities of milk, cheese, green leafy vegetables, wheat, maize orange in your diet.

§ Vitamin D which is synthesized in our body through exposure to sun light so, bask for one hour /day

§ Do not overindulge in mental tension

§ Avoid junk food, particularly cola. Refrain from smoking, alcohol etc.

§ Yearly check up for Bone Mass Density is must over 45 years age

§ If you are already suffering from Osteoporosis take good care of your routine activities to prevent the fractures. Use flat slippers avoid high healed shoes avoid slippery floors in bathroom.

In a recent study USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging, Tufts University they found that in women drinking cola was associated with lower bone mineral density at all three hip sites regardless of age, menopaus

Many health articles indicate that the first time a person realizes that they have osteoporosis is when a fracture occurs, often without a slip or fall. As these symptoms do not usually occur at the early stage of the condition, it is sometimes difficult to detect.
What is Osteoporosis?
Most health articles describe osteoporosis as a condition that causes thinning of weakening of the density of bone mass. Often covered in menopause information, osteoporosis means a person will have weaker bones and a higher risk of bone fracture. It is not arthritis, which leads to problems in joints due to cartilage wear. Rather, it is a problem of the bone and its ability to support the weight of your body.
Menopause information further says there are two main categories of osteoporosis – Type 1 and Type II. Type I occurs in post-menopausal women and is caused by estrogen deficiency. Type II is due to aging and calcium deficiency over long periods of time. While generally assumed they are typical menopause symptoms, Type II occurs in both men and women.
What it the cause?
Both men and women reach their peak bone mass in the third decade of life. After that, bone mass gradually and steadily decreases. In pregnant and lactating women, the rate of bone mass will temporarily decrease when the increased calcium demands of pregnancy or breast-feeding are not met by increased dietary intake of calcium. Menopause symptoms also show a significant decrease of bone mass in the immediate post-menopausal period.
Women are especially prone to developing thin bones because they don’t develop as much bone while younger and the rate of bone loss in women is greater than men. Because of this, health articles indicate age and gender are the most important risk factors for developing osteoporosis.
Other important risk factors that may contribute to developing osteoporosis include northern European ancestry, hypothyroidism, anti-convulsive medications, and a sedentary lifestyle. Americans are especially prone – the exact cause of this is not known. We do know that this is not entirely related to ancestry as studies have shown that individuals that integrate into the United States from other countries develop an American’s higher risk of osteoporosis.
How is osteoporosis diagnosed?
The most useful test is called bone densitmetry or dexa scan. While this test does require special equipment, it was proven safe, however, exposes the patient to small amounts of radiation that is useful for detecting early osteoporosis.
What is the Treatment?
There are three major treatments, which include exercise, nutrition supplementation (up to 1500 mg. of calcium supplement daily), and medication. Since often included in menopause symptoms, hormonal replacement therapy, or HRT, helps maintain and potentially increase bone mass after menopause. While there are other side effects to HRT, such as uterine and breast cancer, blood clots, and strokes, estrogen (or HRT therapy) may be effective.
In summary, it is of the utmost importance that all individuals (especially women) remain active to help maintain strong bones. Even simple forms of exercise, like walking or aerobics, help significantly. Maintaining adequate calcium intake and potentially HRT should be considered.