TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Osteoporosis occurs when bone slowly loses density and becomes weak and prone to fracture. Osteoporosis most often causes fractures in the pelvis, spine, and wrists.
Osteoporosis is known as a silent disease because the person does not feel any symptoms until an accident such as a slip or fall causes a fracture. According to pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, the increased incidence of hip fractures among the elderly in developed countries has been associated with an increased prevalence of osteoporosis.
A lifestyle that is increasingly inactive or what is currently trending is called mager to be one of the factors that significantly contributes to the increase in the prevalence of osteoporosis. For example sitting desease, namely the habit of just staying in one place.
This lifestyle also makes bone-bones rarely move and muscles are rarely stretched. In fact, physical activity needs to be done for body fitness, including bone health. Bones and muscles are created to work or move. If a sedentary lifestyle affects the body’s regulation, making bones weaker and can be associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis. Apart from a sedentary lifestyle, there are several other factors that also cause osteoporosis.
-Sex hormones. Low levels of estrogen associated with menstrual cycles or menopause can cause osteoporosis in women. Whereas in men, low testosterone levels can cause osteoporosis. This can be modified with dietary changes as well as hormonal therapy.
-Anorexia nervosa. In anorexia nervosa, the body does not get the nutrition it should, so it lacks the components needed to maintain bone density.
-Lack of calcium and vitamin D can cause brittle bones.
-The use of certain drugs
-Lack of physical activity
-Smoke
-Alcohol
Diagnosis of osteoporosis is usually made by a doctor by asking for a complete medical history and performing a physical examination, bone x-rays, bone densitometry, and special laboratory tests. If you are diagnosed with low bone mass, your doctor may want to do additional tests to rule out other diseases that can cause bone loss, including osteomalacia or metabolic bone disease characterized by abnormal bone mineralization, or hyperparathyroidism, which is an overactivity of the parathyroid glands.
Bone densitometry is usually performed on women who are at the age of menopause. Several types of bone densitometry are used for detection porous bones in various areas of the body. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is one of the most accurate methods, but other techniques can also identify osteoporosis, including single photon absorptiometry (SPA), quantitative computed tomography (QCT), radiographic absorptiometry, and ultrasound.
Doctors can determine which method is most suitable for people with osteoporosis. Treatments for osteoporosis include:
-Balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D.
-Sports
-Healthy lifestyle
-Medicines, if needed (estrogen replacement therapy, selective estrogen receptor modulators, calcitonin, and bisphosphonates).
Also read: Tips for Healthy Bones Maintained until Old
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