Categories: Health

Osteoporosis 101: Building Strong Bones At Every Age

Building and maintaining strong bones is important throughout every stage of life. Your bones help support your body, create proper posture, protect your vital organs from harm, assist your muscles with movement, and store important minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D to be released when your body needs them. Bone marrow – the jelly-like substance inside some bones – also assists with producing new blood cells. As you age, you are more likely to experience a loss of bone strength, which can lead to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disorder in which bones become more fragile and more likely to break, particularly in older adults. Fortunately, you can do many things throughout your life to help build strong bone health at every age and limit the likelihood of osteoporosis.

Understanding Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when the body either loses or makes too little bone, or sometimes both. The bones then become weak and are more likely to break from minor falls and bumps, and in more serious cases, sneezing may even cause a fracture.

Bone mass plays an important part in avoiding osteoporosis. Our maximum bone size and strength is called peak bone mass, and although predominately determined by our genetics, lifestyle factors can influence whether we reach our full bone mass potential.

The time in which we can influence reaching our peak bone mass is limited and is best done during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood when rapid growth occurs. The choices we make during this time, including ensuring the right amount of calcium intake for our age and a healthy amount of exercise, can have a significant impact on our peak bone mass.

Most people reach their peak bone mass between 25 – 30 years old. At age 40, we slowly begin to lose bone mass, however, there are steps you can take to avoid severe loss over time. Although everyone will inevitably lose bone mass with age, those who developed a higher peak bone mass during their youth will be better protected from osteoporosis as they age.

Osteoporosis Risk Factors and Warning Signs

According to the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, 10 million Americans are currently diagnosed with osteoporosis. There are many reasons why someone may develop osteoporosis, but those with a higher risk include:

• Women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men as their bones are less dense and smaller in size.

• People who have problems remodeling their bone (the process of removing old bone and replacing it with new bone) are more susceptible to osteoporosis.

• A family history of osteoporosis can elevate one’s risk of also developing it.

• Those of Caucasian descent are more at risk due to genetic factors.

• Inadequate calcium intake and low levels of vitamin D can hinder calcium absorption resulting in low bone mass.

• Eating disorders may cause deficiencies due to a restricted food intake resulting in being underweight.

• Lifestyles with a lack of weight-bearing exercise or excessive alcohol consumption can increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis.

Unfortunately, osteoporosis often remains undetected until a bone breaks. There are, however, a few signs that may manifest before reaching this point, if you know what to look for. As osteoporosis weakens the bones, it can lead to skeletal changes that can cause discomfort. This may manifest as a gradual loss of height due to the degeneration of the spine, a hunched appearance near the shoulders, or difficulty performing simple tasks such as rising from a seat without support.

Preventative measures

It is a common misconception that osteoporosis and the broken bones it can cause are a normal part of aging, but this is not true. With the proper care, you can limit your chances of osteoporosis through both nutrition and exercise.

Nutrition and diet

Maintaining a balanced diet is vital for developing bones, and the right mix can even boost bone density.

• Calcium-rich foods: calcium is important for bone health, so it is important to incorporate it into your diet. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt are good sources of calcium.

• Vitamin D: Vitamin D aids in calcium absorption, making it just as important as consuming the calcium itself. Spending time in the sun can get you vitamin D, but it is also found in fatty fish such as salmon, or through taking supplements.

• Vitamin K: Vitamin K facilitates the activation of proteins that stimulate bone formation. A good source of vitamin K is leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and broccoli, or in some fruits like blueberries, figs, and kiwifruit.

Exercise

Weight-bearing exercise, particularly during adolescence, is essential to reach maximum bone strength. The most effective way to achieve this is to include a variety of exercises in your daily life, including:

• Brisk walking

• Climbing stairs

• Weight-lifting

• Resistance bands training

• Dancing

Team sports such as soccer or basketball

Lifestyle adjustments

Alongside diet and exercise, you can make other lifestyle adjustments to reduce the likelihood of developing osteoporosis.

• Smoking: Smoking is a habit that can lead to an imbalance in bone turnover, leading to lower bone mass. It can also impact the body’s ability to absorb vitamin D and calcium, which are vital for good bone health, increase oxidative stress and inflammation, and cause delays in bone healing after a fracture or surgery.

• Chronic alcohol consumption: excessive alcohol consumption can compromise bone quality through the disruption of the balance of hormones in bone regulation. It can also directly inhibit bone formation and increase the risk of fractures and complications.

• Sodium intake: consuming large quantities of sodium can result in calcium depletion. Processed foods tend to contain high sodium levels, so reducing your intake can help improve your bone health.

Osteoporosis Treatment Options

Osteoporosis is generally diagnosed via bone density testing. A bone density test shows the amount of bone a person has in the hip, spine, or other bones. If your risk is deemed “not high”, treatment may not include medication but instead focus on diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.

If you believe you may be experiencing osteoporosis, it is important to get in touch with your local doctor or other professionals who have completed relevant medical courses such as online accelerated BSN programs to seek appropriate advice.

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