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Osteoporosis Diagnosis

osteoporosis diagnosis
osteoporosis diagnosis

Diagnoses of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the basic skeletal structure of your body. Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD). In osteoporosis, the bone becomes too fragile and brittle that they break or fracture very easily even due to a slight pressure like bending. The risk of osteoporosis is maximum at weight bearing bones like hips and spine.

Osteoporosis is a very silent and slow disease and is frequently referred as “the silent thief.” Even after the onset of osteoporosis, you may not experience any signs or symptoms of osteoporosis for many years. You will realize that you are suffering from osteoporosis only after you encounter a fracture. If osteoporosis is diagnosed at such a late stage, leave alone prevention, even the treatment of osteoporosis will become a distant dream.

One must always maintain a proper diet and lifestyle to avoid osteoporosis. Diagnosis of osteoporosis must be carried out at regular intervals to detect the onset of osteoporosis. Today various methods are available to diagnose osteoporosis. Although some methods, like physical symptoms, are easy to diagnose, but the other confirmatory methods should be used before reaching a conclusion.

Osteoporosis Treatment Depends On Osteoporosis Diagnosis

The accuracy of diagnosis is very important because it governs the type of treatment you must undergo. The various types of diagnosing techniques available are:

  • Physical signs: The physical signs like stooping and back ache form the preliminary form of diagnosis, but only in case of advanced osteoporosis. These signs do not appear in the initial stages of osteoporosis.
  • X-ray: Till a few years back, the X-ray technique was relied upon for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. But this technique is found to be quite insensitive to the disease because approximately 30% loss of the bone tissue goes unnoticed while using this technique. All the more, over-exposed films can indicate demineralized bones, when they are not.
  • Bone mineral density testing: This is a very accurate and painless method. It can even tell you that how likely you are to develop osteoporosis in future! Mostly, Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry is used for measuring your bone density. The test is very safe and hassle free. It is nothing but a more sophisticated X-ray technology. The density of your bones is indicated on the basis of the amount of x-rays which pass through your bones.
  • Ultrasound: This is a very inexpensive test to diagnose osteoporosis and the machinery involved is portable. Hence, the people living in remote areas can also benefit from this technique. In this technique you are required to immerse your foot in warm water bath. This makes the high frequency sound waves to pass through your heel. Through this simple procedure, ultrasound can detect the density of the bones in your heel. This technique is mostly affective for post menopausal women. Physicians advise to follow this test with BMD if this test turns out to be positive.

Apart from these tests various laboratory tests for calcium and phosphorous may also be employed for accurate diagnosis of osteoporosis.

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Natural Remedies for Osteoporosis

natural
natural

The Natural Remedies for Osteoporosis Treatment

With aging, the bones in our body tend to get weak which could pave the way for osteoporosis risk. A patient suffering from osteoporosis is prone to fractures in bones around spine, hips and the wrist even with a slight stress. The conventional osteoporosis treatment recommends osteoporosis drugs such as fosamax, calcitriol and the estrogen replacement therapy for post-menopausal women. But despite the recommendation, some people prefer to opt for natural remedies rather than drugs because of the side effects of the drugs. The alternative osteoporosis treatment based on natural remedies not only slows down the bone loss, but also unlike the osteoporosis treatment drugs, they pave a way for healthy and active lifestyle.

Alternative Osteoporosis Treatment

Medical researches have proved that the natural remedies and alternative osteoporosis treatments are equally effective in treating osteoporosis. These alternative osteoporosis treatments are considered to be better than the conventional osteoporosis medications because they not only treat osteoporosis but are also free from all the side effects. The alternative osteoporosis treatments can also be used in osteoporosis prevention for the future.

If the cause and disease are diagnosed at an initial stage, osteoporosis patients can optimally cure their suffering by bringing some simple variations in their lifestyles and their diet. Here are some alternative osteoporosis treatment and natural remedy tips that you can follow:

  • Exercise: Exercising for half an hour regularly is the first and the most effective alternative cure for osteoporosis. The exercise could comprise of light jogging or walking and also some weight bearing exercise for which you can consult your physician. Exercise not only keeps your body fit but it also helps in prevention of further bone loss.
  • Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Patients at osteoporosis risk must avoid the intake of alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine as far as possible, because they reduce the body’s capacity to absorb the bone enriching nutrients. Apart from this, the osteoporosis patients must avoid falls that may result in fractures or cracks in the bones
  • Diet in Osteoporosis: The patients must follow an optimal diet as directed by their physician. An osteoporosis patient must include adequate amount of Calcium, Vitamin D and Magnesium in their diet. Calcium and Vitamin D are required for the growth of bones and magnesium helps in preventing the loss of calcium from the body. You should include foods such as cheese, sardines, broccoli, dark leafy vegetables, soy and dairy products, almond milk, fruits, legumes, yogurt and kefir in your diet.
  • Homeopathic osteoporosis cure: Homeopathy medicines can provide a healthy and a successful alternative treatment osteoporosis. The homeopathic remedies like Calcarea carbonica, Calcarea phosphorica, Phosphorus, Silicea and Symphytum are recommended by the physician depending upon the symptoms to treat osteoporosis alternatively.
  • Acupuncture: The use of acupuncture in treating osteoporosis alternatively is still under the reviews of research but several cases have been registered where acupuncture has effectively proven to be an alternative osteoporosis treatment. Generally, this technique of inserting needles in the skin around the affected bone under the guidance of a specialist is regarded beneficial only at the primary stage of osteoporosis. This method is not recommended to the patients acutely suffering from osteoporosis.
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Lifestyle and Diet on Osteoporosis

osteoporosis exercise

Affect Of Lifestyle and Diet on Osteoporosis

osteoporosis exercise

It is widely known that there is no permanent cure for osteoporosis. The condition for osteoporosis can only be prevented from deteriorating at a fast rate. Taking adequate measures and building strong bones in the young age is probably the best defense against osteoporosis. Proper lifestyle and diet for osteoporosis should be charted out with the help of the physician to avoid the ill affects of osteoporosis.

Only slight modifications in lifestyle and diet can do wonders in prevention as well as cure of osteoporosis. There is no single measure to prevent osteoporosis but a combination of various lifestyle and diet modifications can help keep osteoporosis at bay.

Reduce Your Risk of Osteoporosis

Although the occurrence of osteoporosis is quite high in women; old people, men and children are also not immune to osteoporosis. The affect of diet and lifestyle on osteoporosis is outlined below:

  • Exercise: Regular exercise is said reduce the risk of osteoporosis to a great extent. Simple aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, and swimming are always prescribed by physicians for the general toning of your body. Optimum impact of these exercises can make your bones and muscles stronger. The impact of these exercises depends on the time for which you exercise and the exercise program you follow. You must properly discuss your exercise regime with your physician because it should vary with your age and other body requirements.
  • Smoking: People who smoke regularly are found to be at a greater risk of osteoporosis. It is believed that smoking reduces the absorption of calcium from your diet. Lower levels of estrogen are found in women who smoke as compared to the women who don’t smoke. Hence, you must modify your lifestyle to avoid smoking as far as possible.
  • Alcohol consumption: Lifestyle of many people includes consumption of 2 to 3 ounces of alcohol everyday. Apart from depleting you from essential nutrients, it also increases your risk of falling, and hence fractures. This in turn, may increase the risk of osteoporosis.
  • Proper diet: Calcium is needed for bone formation but it is more important to maintain calcium in proper proportion to avoid osteoporosis. Magnesium is responsible for absorption of calcium. Diet rich in calcium must be compensated with diets rich in magnesium to maintain proper balance of these minerals. Your diet must include nuts and green leafy vegetables as they are found to be a good source of both calcium and magnesium. Junk foods must also be avoided because they contain phosphorus in good amount, which can disturb the ratio of calcium and phosphorus in the bones. You must also include seeds and yellow vegetables in your diet. Also try to consume a proper amount of vitamin D because it also helps in absorption of calcium.
  • Avoid excess of salt: Increased amount of sodium can result in wastage of calcium through urine.
  • Avoid animal protein: Animal protein such as meat and cheese are capable of disturbing the acid balance of our body. This increases the calcium requirement in your body. This calcium is then taken from your bones thereby depleting calcium from bones. Plenty of fruits and vegetables should be consumed to maintain the acid balance
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Osteoporosis Types

types 1,2

Types of Osteoporosis

types 1,2

Osteoporosis occurs due to the slow degeneration of bones. A stage comes when the bones become so fragile and week that they can break even while performing the day-to-day tasks such as climbing stairs, bending and lifting things. There are two types of osteoporosis, primary and secondary osteoporosis. Primary osteoporosis is mainly related to age and secondary osteoporosis is related to diseases. Before understanding the primary and secondary types of osteoporosis, it is important to understand the composition and creation of bones.

Bones in our body are made up of two elements, type-I collagen protein and calcium phosphate. The collagen proteins initially form a protein framework. This framework is spongy when it is created but gradually it hardens because of calcium phosphate additions to it. The calcium phosphate compound makes the bones both flexible and strong. The new bones in our body keeps forming and old bones are continuously replaced by the new bones. This process is very slow but continuous. During this process the protein framework made up of collagen proteins is breaks down by the cells called osteoclasts and the new cells called osteoblasts starts forming the new bone.

In osteoporosis, the process of regeneration of bones slows down and the bones become brittle. Although in both types of osteoporosis, the regeneration and deterioration of bones follow the same process but the causes of both the types of osteoporosis are different.

Primary Osteoporosis

The primary osteoporosis occurs naturally as the age increases in both men and women. In women it is also caused due to the degeneration of estrogen level after the age of 50 when menopause is over. The primary osteoporosis can be further subdivided into type I and type II osteoporosis based on the amount of calcium left in the skeleton and the amount of risk of factures in bones.

The type I osteoporosis is mainly caused in women due to degeneration of estrogen level between the age of 50 and 70 after menopause. In this age the resoprtion of bone increases causing low density of bones. This type of osteoporosis occurs in 5% to 20% women. The type I osteoporosis leads to factures in vertebrate, spine, hip, and wrists with a small pressure caused by falls or minor injuries. Women are more at risk in this category as compared to men.

Type II osteoporosis occurs in women twice as frequently as in men. It occurs mostly at the age of 70 in the same degree of severity in both men and women. It happens when the balance between the resoprtion and formation of bone disrupts immensely and resoprtion overpowers formation of bones. It may also occur when the deficiency of Vitamin D arises in body due to age factor. Type II osteoporosis causes fractures in femoral neck, vertebrae, proximal humerus, proximal tibia, and pelvis. In some cases a patient may be affected by both type I and type II osteoporosis.

Secondary Osteoporosis

The main cause of secondary osteoporosis is not related to age. secondary osteoporosis can be caused due to many reasons, which include hormonal imbalance, certain medications such as corticosteroids, and certain diseases endocrine disease. Secondary osteoporosis can also be caused due to a number of other conditions, such as excessive alcoholism, epilepsy, and chronic liver or kidney diseases. Secondary osteoporosis can also be caused due to genetic disorders, such as Marfan’s and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

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Exercises for Osteoporosis

Best Osteoporosis Exercises fοr Men and Women

Best Osteoporosis Exercises fοr Men and Women

Best Osteoporosis Exercises fοr Men and Women

Thе thinning οf thе bone material аnd thе gradual degradation οf thе
bones іѕ whаt tο bе termed аѕ osteoporosis. Thе disease іѕ more lіkеlу
tο occur іn thе post menopausal women whο lack thе proper amount οf
calcium іn thе body. Thе occurrence οf osteoporosis іѕ generally due tο
thе lack οf сοrrесt аnd sufficient amounts οf calcium іn thе body.
Besides thе intake οf medicines аnd dependency οn medications opting fοr
thе proper exercises іѕ аlѕο essential іn order tο gеt rid οf
osteoporosis.

Aѕ far аѕ thе various sources οf evidences аrе concerned proper
exercise саn redeem thе growth аnd development οf thе bones. Nο matter
whаt іѕ thе age proper exercise саn bе effective іn maintaining thе bone
density. Resistance exercises such аѕ thе lifting οf thе weights аrе
found tο bе quite effective іn thе development οf thе bone materials.
Thе exercises thаt impart proper force upon thе bones аrе sufficient
enough tο develop thе bone structures. Thе bone mass develops wіth thе
practice οf weight bearing. Besides thе reduction οf thе bone materials,
exercises аrе effective іn reduction οf сеrtаіn heart disorders.

Jogging, running аnd jumping ѕhουld bе a daily раrt οf thе exercises
thаt one goes through аѕ thеѕе impart proper stress upon thе bone mass
thereby stressing thе bones tο enhance thе capabilities οf withstanding
pressure. Pushups аnd thе climbing οn stairs саn bе quite effective іn
developing thе bone density. Thе thing tο bе noted іѕ tο consult a
doctor before implementing exercises іn a daily routine. Over stress οf
exercises ѕhουld аlѕο bе avoided.

Thе bone density decreases tο yield thе disease οf osteoporosis. Aѕ
according tο thе worldwide survey reports еνеrу one woman out οf six аnd
еνеrу one man out οf eight suffers frοm osteoporosis аftеr thе age οf
fifty. Osteoporosis іѕ more lіkеlу tο happen tο those women going
through menopause. Osteoporosis іѕ a ѕіlеnt аnd unnoticed gradual
degradation οf thе bone density whісh eventually leads life іntο a
disastrous еnd. Thе disease οftеn tends tο disturb a healthy аnd sound
life. Aftеr thе eventual loss οf bone density hаѕ taken рlасе thе signs
аnd symptoms tend tο reveal.


Thе Possible Prevention οf Osteoporosis

Thе growth аnd development οf thе bones occur іn a cyclic process.
Thus thеrе аrе сеrtаіn requirements fοr thе growth аnd development οf
thе bones. Calcium being one οf thе first аnd foremost criteria οf bone
developments, demands extra care іn іtѕ intake. Thе optimum nutrition tο
bе achieved аn individual mυѕt consume аt lеаѕt 1000 mg tο 1500 mg οf
calcium daily. Thе consumption οf calcium entirely depends upon thе age
аnd сеrtаіn conditions relating tο thе diet.

Thе next best possible way οf prevention οf osteoporosis аnd сеrtаіn
similar bone degradations іѕ tο intake sufficient amount οf vitamin D.
Daily intake οf 400 tο 800 IU amount οf vitamin D саn bе eventually a
gοοd way tο prevent osteoporosis.

Besides blood coagulation, Vitamin K іѕ quite effective іn regaining
thе strength οf bones аnd reduces thе loss οf bone density. Sіnсе
osteoporosis happens readily due tο thе loss οf thе density οf thе bones
sufficient intakes οf vitamin K саn bе very useful іn thе prevention οf
osteoporosis

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