Osteopororosis, a Silent Disease Affecting 1 in 2 Women!
One in two women will be affected by Osteoporosis in Arizona! One in eight men will have an osteoporosis. It is a silent disease because it is painless and doesn't present with any visible symptoms.
Osteoporosis is when bones become thin, brittle, porous and misshapen; therefore, are weaker and have a higher propensity to break or fracture. These fractures occur predominantly in the hip, spine, wrist, vertebrae and in the pelvis. When bones break is typically when people know they have osteoporosis.
A person can also have a simple bone density test to screen for osteoporosis.
The following are risk factors for osteoporosis:
• Being female
• Family history of osteoporosis, or bone fractures
• Increasing age
• Having a small, thin frame
• Being Caucasian or Asian
• Early menopause or postmenopausal women
Risk factors that can be modified are:
• An inactive lifestyle, with little or no weight bearing exercise
• A diet low in calcium, or an inadequate intake of nutrients
• Smoking cigarettes
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Certain medications that have negative affects on bone, i.e. medications for asthma, thyroid or arthritis
• Anorexia or bulimia
Modifications to one's lifestyle can reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. Increasing one's intake of Vitamin D and Calcium are simple ways of decreasing the risk for developing osteoporosis. Incorporating weight bearing exercise, even in 3 ten-minute increments is an excellent start, to helping bones become stronger.
Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus in the intestines. It is made naturally in the skin after exposure to the sun, also known as vitamin D synthesis. As little as 10 minutes of exposure to the sun, without sunscreen, three times per week can be sufficient for the body to produce vitamin D.
Eating a well-balanced diet with no more than 500 mg of calcium in any meat at one time can help meet your daily calcium needs.
Stay tuned for more information on foods high in Vitamin D and calcium and weight bearing exercises for bone health in the upcoming articles.
Osteoporosis is when bones become thin, brittle, porous and misshapen; therefore, are weaker and have a higher propensity to break or fracture. These fractures occur predominantly in the hip, spine, wrist, vertebrae and in the pelvis. When bones break is typically when people know they have osteoporosis.
A person can also have a simple bone density test to screen for osteoporosis.
The following are risk factors for osteoporosis:
• Being female
• Family history of osteoporosis, or bone fractures
• Increasing age
• Having a small, thin frame
• Being Caucasian or Asian
• Early menopause or postmenopausal women
Risk factors that can be modified are:
• An inactive lifestyle, with little or no weight bearing exercise
• A diet low in calcium, or an inadequate intake of nutrients
• Smoking cigarettes
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Certain medications that have negative affects on bone, i.e. medications for asthma, thyroid or arthritis
• Anorexia or bulimia
Modifications to one's lifestyle can reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. Increasing one's intake of Vitamin D and Calcium are simple ways of decreasing the risk for developing osteoporosis. Incorporating weight bearing exercise, even in 3 ten-minute increments is an excellent start, to helping bones become stronger.
Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus in the intestines. It is made naturally in the skin after exposure to the sun, also known as vitamin D synthesis. As little as 10 minutes of exposure to the sun, without sunscreen, three times per week can be sufficient for the body to produce vitamin D.
Eating a well-balanced diet with no more than 500 mg of calcium in any meat at one time can help meet your daily calcium needs.
Stay tuned for more information on foods high in Vitamin D and calcium and weight bearing exercises for bone health in the upcoming articles.