Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis

This disease is something that everybody has to worry about, but it is especially important for women to raise their awareness level. Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the bones, causing their density to decrease which raises the risk for fracture. There are a few causes of osteoporosis, and having at least some familiarity with the causes is imperative. There are steps that can be taken to prevent this disease, but you have to know what to do before you actually put any actions into motion. While osteoporosis usually develops in postmenopausal women, men can still be affected, which is why it is so important that this knowledge be passed along. Here are some of the causes of osteoporosis.

1. The most frequent cause of osteoporosis is unfortunately unavoidable, and it happens to be age. After menopause, there is a decreased amount of estrogen in a woman’s body and less testosterone in a man’s body. These deficiencies cause lower bone densities, which will lead to fractures, balance disorders, and increased risk of falling.

2. Alcohol – Drinking to excess can have an array of negative effects, but that does not stop people from doing it. Drinking occasionally is fine, in fact, drinking red wine actually has long term heart benefits. Abusing alcohol on the other hand, that will bring more trouble than it is worth, osteoporosis being just one of the possible complications. If you think that you can control your alcohol intake, speak to a counselor or join an organization. There are several ways to curb alcohol addiction, you just have to get yourself started.

3. Tobacco – Smoking tobacco affects a few things that could lead to osteoporosis. For one, they restrict the activity of osteoblasts. These are the cells that dictate how a bone is formed, and bones are always changing and reshaping themselves. So if osteoblasts are inhibited, the bones will not be able to reshape in the way they need to. This might make movement painful or cause fractures in the actual bones. Smoking tobacco may also force early menopause in women, and as stated before, postmenopausal women are most likely to be affected by osteoporosis.

4. Malnutrition – No matter your race, age, or gender, everyone should be making sure that they are getting their daily amounts of vitamins and nutrients. Whether you take a multivitamin pill, specific supplements, or you choose your diet carefully enough so that you do not need any supplementation, it is vital that no nutrients are neglected.

Osteoporosis is a disease that can affect anyone if they do not take the steps to prevent it. If you want to stay free from osteoporosis, make sure that you have enough calcium (along with all the other nutrients) in your diet and exercise regularly. There are medications that help with this disease but there is no cure. A cure is not something you will have to worry about though, if you use the proper preventative measures.