Get Ahead of Osteoporosis With Early Warning Signs

Osteoporosis is a condition that affects many people, especially women, at some point during their lives. The factors that those affected most often have in common are being a woman who is postmenopause, being deficient in Vitamin D or calcium, or having taken glucocorticoids for a period of greater than three months. The scariest part of osteoporosis is that it can exist without any symptoms, known as being asymptomatic until something occurs that causes a bone to break or fracture. Any bone that has been impacted by the condition can be subject to these breaks or fractures. In severely affected bones, a simple bump or fall that would have been inconsequential prior to its onset can now lead to a bad break. Identifying it early is an important step towards preventing accidents like these and preserving your bone's strength. 

Steps In Identifying Osteoporosis Early On
Prior to being diagnosed with osteoporosis, many patients will experience a fracture caused by the fragility of their bones. What defines a fragility-related fracture is that the inciting event is relatively minor or low-impact and yet resulted in the occurrence of a fracture. While it’s possible for these to occur without the presence of osteoporosis, it's important that you get a bone density test if this occurs. This is especially true if you happen to be over the age of 50 or have other factors that put you at risk of osteoporosis. Those who should be tested for this condition include:

    • Women who are beyond the age of 65
    • Men who are beyond the age of 70
    • Those who experience bone fractures after 50
    • Anyone who has more than one high-risk factor (age, being female, low body weight, or a history of osteoporosis)
    • Those who have health conditions that elevate risks of osteoporosis
    • Those who are taking risk creating medications

These risk factors indicate that you should be tested for this condition if you haven’t been already. Other potential signs to watch out for are high levels of calcium or alkaline phosphatase found in a blood test, low bone mineral density scores, a deficiency in Vitamin D, muscles or joints that ache and having to push off a chair to get up from one.

What Can Be Done Once Osteoporosis Has Been Identified?
There are a number of approaches that can be used to treat osteoporosis, ranging from medications to lifestyle changes. Staying active can do a lot to preserve and restore bone density, especially when combined with a diet high in Vitamin D and calcium. There are also certain medications that are well known to work to prevent or slow the advance of the condition or boost the body's ability to utilize calcium. Speak to your provider to get more information about these treatments and which may be right for you. Here's where you can enter in text. Feel free to edit, move, delete or add a different page element.