what is osteoporasis & its symtoms?

Answer 1

What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a progressive disease that causes bones to become thin and brittle, making them more likely to break. Osteoporosis may result in broken bones (fractures) in the spine and hip. Hip fractures often require hospitalization, and fractures of the bones in the spine (vertebrae) can cause loss of height and severe back pain. Both may lead to permanent disability.

Whether you develop osteoporosis depends on the thickness of your bones early in life, as well as health, diet, and physical activity later in life. .


Symptoms
In the early stages of osteoporosis, you usually do not have symptoms. As the disease progresses, you may develop symptoms related to weakened bones, including:

Back pain.
Loss of height and stooped posture.
A curved upper back (dowager's hump).
Broken bones (fractures) that might occur with a minor injury, especially in the hip, spine, and wrist.

Answer 2

Osteoporosis is a disease of bone leading to an increased risk of fracture. Fracture is a medical condition in which a bone breaks. The symptoms occur late in the disease, they are:
Loss of height as a result of weakened spines
Cramps in the legs at night
Bone pain and tenderness
Neck pain
Persistent pain in the spine or muscles of lower back
Abdominal pain
Tooth loss
Rib pain
Broken bones
Fatigue
Periodontal disease
Brittle fingernails
Spinal deformities become evident like stooped posture, an outward curve at the top of the spine as a result of developing a vertebral collapse on the back
Early detection and intervention are important in osteoporosis to slow the disease. Osteoporosis can be diagnosed with procedures like a complete medical and family history, bone density test, blood tests, spine X-ray and spine CT.


There are a number of medications and treatments that may help to increase bone density. Estrogen replacement therapy, Alendronate, Raloxifene and Calcitonin are some of them. However, the best treatment is prevention.

Answer 3

Osteoporosis is a progressive metabolic bone disease that decreases bone density (bone mass per unit volume), with deterioration of bone structure. Skeletal weakness leads to fractures with minor or inapparent trauma, particularly in the thoracic and lumbar spine, wrist, and hip. Acute or chronic back pain is common. Diagnosis is by dual-energy x‑ray absorptiometry. Prevention and treatment involve Ca and vitamin D supplements, exercises to maximize bone and muscle strength and minimize the risk of falls, and drug therapy to preserve bone mass or stimulate new bone formation.
Please see the web pages for more details on Osteoporosis.

Answer 4

Bones fracture easily. The most reliable way to determine it is to get a doctor to refer you to an x-ray clinic -- there is a special x-ray to measure bone density. It can be treated if the diagnosis is osteoporosis. The condition that leads to it is osteopenia, not yet osteoporosis but nearing it -- also treatable. Treatment is both by oral medicine and special exercises. East Asians (Chinese, Japanese, etc) are particularly vulnerable as they become lactose-intolerant at an early age, and milk is a major source of calcium needed to build up bone density. About 55% of their women and 30% of their men are prone after middle-age.

Answer 5

Oesteoporosis is a weakening of the bones due to lack of calcium. Its most common in older women but your calcium intake in your childhood and early adulthood is what predisposes you to it. (ie - you need to make sure you get enough calcium well before the symptoms start to appear)

In severe cases it causes the spine to deform and curl up (thats why you see some older women bent over). It also means that you are more susceptible to broken bones.

Weight bearing exercise is also an important factor in warding off osteoporosis because it makes the bones stronger and denser.