What is Osteoporosis?
In the illustration above, you can see the difference between a healthy bone (left) and a bone affected by osteoporosis (right). Evidently, the osteoporosis bone is porous and fragile, hence the term osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is Common
About 18 million Americans currently suffer from osteoporosis. However, many more people suffer from low bone density that will likely develop into osteoporosis; some studies suggest that nearly 54 million Americans are at risk for developing osteoporosis. To conceptualize the significance of this number consider: one in two women and one in four men age 50 and older, are predicted to suffer a broken bone due to osteoporosis.
Are You at Risk for Developing Osteoporosis?
Like the skin, our bones continuously shed and regenerate to renew bone composition. This process occurs throughout one's life, and the ability to generate new bone grows less efficient as one ages, leading to osteoporosis.
Some factors that place you at risk for developing osteoporosis include:
- Avoiding weight bearing activity (thought to be the most influential determinant)
- Smoking
- Inadequate calcium intake
- Lack of sunlight exposure (vitamin D deficiency)
- Excessive alcohol consumption
Signs and Symptoms of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis has minimal signs visible to the naked eye. Typically, osteoporosis is diagnosed after one suffers a fall leading to a bone fracture. Once osteoporosis reaches its later stages however, visible signs and symptoms may appear. These can include:
- Back pain, caused by a fractured spine
- Decrease in height
- Stooped posture (as illustrated in the pictures below)
The w The woman pictured above has a stooped posture and curved spine as a result of bone fracture.
Effects and Outcomes of Osteoporosis
The pain associated with bone loss and potentially bone fractures can decrease an individual's quality of life and his or her level of happiness, which could lead to depression. Osteoporotic bone fractures can lead to long-term chronic pain and disability. Specifically, hip fractures can cause reduced mobility and lead to dependence on others.
Alice, who suffers from osteoporosis, discusses how she copes with the effects of osteoporosis.
On another note, osteoporosis can have a large financial impact considering medical care costs, loss of income, and cost of dependent care.
As the chart above illustrates, osteoporosis causes disabling conditions that place a severe burden on the sufferer and his or her family.
Feedback
If you have any questions about the content included in the post or topics you would like for me to discuss in the future, please leave a comment below. Additionally, please feel free to include anything you've learned about osteoporosis during your time with the condition, or any advice you have on coping with it.
