What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones become weaker and more likely to fracture or break than normal bone. It’s a common disease affecting more than 1 million Australians.
What cause osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis develops when the bones lose minerals faster than your body can replace them. This causes bones to lose thickness, becoming thinner and less dense. When this happens, even a slight bump or minor fall can cause a serious fracture. Any bone can be affected, but osteoporosis often affects bones in the hip, spine and wrist.
What are the risk factors for osteoporosis?
Certain risk factors can make you more likely to develop osteoporosis. Women are at a greater risk than men; and age is another contributing factor. Other risk factors that can put you at higher risk of include:
A family history of fractures (broken bones)
Body weight – a thin or small frame or excessive weight
Diet low in calcium and vitamin D
Low hormone levels – women in early menopause or with irregular or no periods, men with low testosterone
Post-menopausal women – due to the rapid decline in oestrogen levels (a hormone that protects the bones)
Hormonal conditions – including thyroid conditions, diabetes and pituitary disorders
Lifestyle factors – smoking, drinking too much alcohol, little or no exercise, too much exercise leading to loss of periods
Eating disorders – particularly anorexia nervosa due to factors like poor nutrition and abnormal ovarian function
Certain medications – taking corticosteroids for a long time (eg for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions)
How do I know if I have osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is diagnosed with a bone density test called a DXA or DEXA scan – a simple scan to measure the density of your bones, usually at the hip and spine. Your GP will assess your risk factors before referring you for the test where you lie flat while a scanning machine passes over you. The scan takes approximately 10-15 minutes.
What are the symptoms of osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a so-called ‘silent’ disease because it can develop with no obvious symptoms. You might not know you have osteoporosis until you break a bone. Even then, sometimes it is not diagnosed because the cause of the fracture is not properly investigated. For example, symptoms of a spinal fracture – back pain, height loss or rounding of the spine – are easily passed off as getting older.
Why is it important to treat osteoporosis?
It’s important that osteoporosis is diagnosed and treated as early as possible. If you have osteoporosis, there is a 2-4 times greater risk of another fracture occurring within 12 months of your first fracture. This risk rises rapidly with each fracture and is known as the ‘cascade effect.’
If you have osteoporosis, even a minor fall can cause a broken bone. Fractures can be very debilitating. They are painful and they can stop you from doing things you would normally do, leading to a loss of independence, disability and even premature death.
What kinds of treatments are there for osteoporosis?
Early detection can help slow the rate of bone loss and prevent fractures. This can be achieved through a combination of diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle – and medication in some people.
There are also many preventative steps you can take to prevent bone loss as you get older.
Get enough calcium by eating calcium rich foods or supplements
Get enough vitamin D to help you absorb the calcium
Do weight-bearing exercises and exercises that promote balance
Even with a healthy lifestyle you may still need extra help to protect against bone loss and fractures. There are a range of medications available in Australia. In addition, you may have another condition that affects your hormones which will cause bone loss e.g. thyroid conditions, diabetes, pituitary disorders, obesity or an eating disorder. Talk to your endocrinologist about how to prevent or manage the risk of osteoporosis, if further tests are needed to look for other disorders that worsen bone loss, and whether medications may be suitable for you.