Keeping your bones healthy key to avoiding severe osteoporosis
IT’S easy to dismiss osteoporosis as an inevitable part of growing old — but understanding the causes, and how to manage the condition, can make a big difference.
While bone density can decrease with age, and for some people osteoporosis may be linked with other health problems or medications, generally speaking, there’s a lot we can do to try and prevent it, and ensure those who do develop problems can minimise pain and complications.
Is osteoporosis serious?
Severe osteoporosis can be very problematic due to the increased risk of fractures — which can have a knock-on effect, including pain and mobility difficulties.
“Severe osteoporosis weakens bones, meaning they can’t cope with minor traumas like falls. This can then lead to fractures that need surgery,” explains Dr Tim Woodman.
The key reason for this is menopause, when a woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs, and eventually periods stop.
“Menopause is the biggest risk factor for osteoporosis, and the risks are greater if a woman goes through early menopause (before 45), or has a prolonged time with no periods, due to over-exercising, too much dieting, or eating disorders,” explains Dr Catherine Hood, women’s health specialist.
“Not only do the ovaries stop producing eggs, they also stop releasing oestrogen into the blood stream. Oestrogen has many effects on the body, including modulating the turnover of bone. Falling levels can have several consequences, including alterations to bone health.”
Nutrition also plays a major role in bone health, and this applies from childhood through to older age.
“The building of healthy bones starts in childhood and it’s important to adopt healthy habits to prevent osteoporosis and broken bones later in life,” says Dr Hood.
“Calcium is an important constituent of bone, so children should eat plenty of leafy green vegetables and dairy products.
“Vitamin D is also essential and can be found in oily fish and eggs,” says Dr Hood.
“But nutrition’s important in adults too and all adults should have 10mcg of vitamin D a day and 700mg of calcium, and eat a diet rich in these things, especially women after menopause. It can be difficult to get enough of these minerals via diet alone, so adults should consider taking a daily supplement to help maintain strong bones.”
Alongside a good diet and calcium and vitamin D intake, Dr Woodman stresses that “regular exercise will help prevent the development of severe osteoporosis”.
Dr Hood agrees.
“Regular weight-bearing and resistance exercise is good for improving bone density, such as walking, running or just climbing the stairs at work rather than taking the lift,” she says.
Your healthcare team should be able to advise on how best to go about this if you’re unsure, and always seek advice from your doctor before embarking on any new exercise regimes.
“Prolonged rest worsens osteoporosis, so maintaining mobility with therapy and pain control is essential,” says Dr Woodman, who adds that medications can also be used “if bones are already fractured, to help reduce the risk of further damage, as well as reducing pain”.
