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Osteoporosis is a disease that thins and weakens bones to the point
where they break easily especially bones in the hip, backbone (spine),
and wrist. Osteoporosis is called the "silent disease" you may not
notice any changes until a bone breaks. But your bones have been
losing strength over many years.
Bone is living tissue. To keep bones strong, the body is always
breaking down old bone and replacing it with new tissue. As people
enter their 40's and 50's, more bone is broken down than is replaced.
A close look at the inside of bone would show something that looks
like a honeycomb. When you have osteoporosis, the spaces in this
honeycomb grow larger. The outer shell of your bones also gets thinner.
All this makes your bones weaker.
Who Gets Osteoporosis?
Ten million Americans have osteoporosis, and eight million of them
are women. About 34 million more have osteopenia. This means they
don't have osteoporosis yet, but have lost enough bone to make them
more likely to get it. One in two women and one in eight men over
age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lives.
White and Asian women are most likely to get osteoporosis. Other
women at great risk include those who:
- have a family history of the disease,
- have not gotten enough calcium throughout their lives,
- had an early menopause,
- had surgery to remove their ovaries,
- had extended bed rest,
- used certain medicines for a long time, or
- have small body frames.
The risk of osteoporosis grows as you get older. Bone loss may
begin slowly in some people when they are in their late thirties.
At the time of menopause women may lose bone quickly for several
years. Then the loss may continue but more slowly. As men age, they
do not have the same kinds of striking hormone changes as women
do in mid-life because they do not have a menopause. In men the
loss of bone mass occurs more slowly. But, by age 65 or 70 men and
women are losing bone at the same rate.
How Do I Know If I Am Losing Bone?
Losing height or having a bone break easily is often the first
sign of osteoporosis. But it doesn't need to be. Bone density is
a term that describes how solid your bones are. Ordinary x-rays
do not show bone loss until a large amount of bone mass is gone.
The best way to measure bone density is by a DEXA-scan (dual-energy
x-ray absorptiometry). Ask your doctor about this test if you think
you are at risk for osteoporosis or if you are a woman around the
age of menopause or older.
The DEXA-scan tells what your risk for a fracture is. It could
show that you have normal bone density. Or , it could show that
you have osteopenia or even osteoporosis.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Russell of IH Distribution, LLC brings you health, anti-aging
and skin care products from around the world. Find fabulous skin
care tips and great articles on a wide range of topics for women
at http://www.hormones-beauty-health.com
or shop online at http://www.ihd.myarbonne.com
Article Source: ArticlesFactory.com:
Osteoporosis - Do You Know if You are Susceptible?
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