Living with painful bones is rather hard. It is not possible to continue popping painkillers and resting is not an option; we do have to move after all. Therefore, issues of musculoskeletal system are very agonizing and debilitating.
Most of the times, arthritis and conditions that come under its umbrella are not life-threatening per se, but they are very incapacitating. Carrying on with ordinary life becomes very hard. Pain is a perpetual partner. One such condition is osteoporosis.
What is osteoporosis?
In this disease, bones become weak and very fragile. They become porous as they lose on the bone mass. Osteoporosis is especially dangerous as the bone silently keeps losing out on the mass and therefore it catches one off guard.
Osteoporosis makes one greatly susceptible to fractures. Not only does this then endanger a person, but once broken, the bones are hard to perfectly set. Further complications include the need of physical therapy and the risk of never having the complete movement back in the joints. It is thus very important to visit the top orthopedic surgeon in Lahore when accosted with fractures and similar problems.
Who is at risk of osteoporosis?
Women carry greater risk of osteoporosis; 33.33% of women are likely to suffer from osteoporosis whereas only 20% of men are at risk of getting osteoporosis. However, these figures run true until certain age; women and men, both over the age of 65 experience bone loss at the same rate.
But, as women have lost a greater deal of the bone mass through their mid-life, and as the loss starts earlier for them, therefore the dangers run deeper for them. Menopause, which occurs in late forties to early fifties in women, is one of the major reasons for osteoporosis in women. Also, some women are at higher risk of the disease; Asian, white, and small-boned women carry higher chances of getting the disease as opposed to women otherwise.
However, unlike the common misconception, osteoporosis is not exclusive to women. Men who suffer from low testosterone levels are more likely to suffer from osteoporosis as well. Moreover, those men who suffer from the skin disease psoriasis are also likely to have osteoporosis, unlike the women.
Lifestyle choices like smoking and drinking alcohol also lead to lowered bone mass, and hence osteoporosis. Since men have a greater tendency to indulge in these vices, hence, they are more likely to get fractured bones on account of osteoporosis.
Furthermore, age is also an important factor. Both men and women have greater chances of suffering from osteoporosis induced fractures in older age. Suffice to say, osteoporosis is just as real for men as for women.
How to lower the risks?
Gender, age and ethnicity are all inevitable and beyond one’s control. However, lifestyle changes also play an important role in the disease and can be changed. A diet rich in calcium is essential for everyone, but it is especially important for women who are peri-menopausal or have hit menopause to increase their calcium intake. It is also vital to take vitamin D alongside calcium, as the vitamin D is required to enable calcium absorption.
Furthermore, it is best to give up smoking and alcohol, not just because of their dire impact on the health of the bone, but also because they cause all sorts of other issues in the body as well that jeopardize health.
Moreover, exercise also helps to build bone mass density. Some people might also need to get input from an expert like top orthopedic surgeon in Karachi as the treatment might be contingent on the underlying condition as well.
Osteoporosis affects males and females, both, and thus everyone needs to take care of their health to avoid its ill impacts.
