Osteoporosis

What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disease that develops when your body either:

• Loses too much bone tissue
• Makes too little bone tissue
• Loses and makes too little bone tissue 

Under a microscope, your bones should look like a honeycomb. 

With osteoporosis, the holes in your bones are larger, less regular, and the remaining bone tissue is thinner. As your bones become less dense, they become weak, brittle, and vulnerable to fracture. 

What are the signs of osteoporosis?

Often, you can have osteoporosis without any symptoms. The first time many patients learn they have osteoporosis is after they break a bone. As your condition worsens, you might notice that your posture becomes stooped, or you lose height. You might also develop back pain from a collapsed or fractured vertebra. 

What causes osteoporosis?

Your bones, like all other tissue in your body, are continuously renewing themselves. As you age, your ability to develop new cells slows, and you lose bone tissue more quickly than your body makes it. 

Some of the common risk factors for osteoporosis include:

• Being female
• Aging
• Menopause 
• Having a family history of osteoporosis
• Small body frame
• Having bariatric surgery
• Having an eating disorder
• Calcium deficiency
• Tobacco use
• Excessive alcohol consumption

Your risk of osteoporosis might also be higher if you have hormonal imbalances, including estrogen, testosterone, thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal hormones. You also have a higher chance of developing the condition if you have a disease like lupus, multiple myeloma, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, or liver disease. Celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease also affect your risk of osteoporosis.

How is osteoporosis diagnosed?

If your doctor thinks that you might have osteoporosis, they order a bone density scan. A bone density scan is a diagnostic imaging test that uses low-level X-rays to evaluate your bones. In most cases, the technician checks your hip and spine.

How is osteoporosis treated?

The team at Lucina Women's Health and Midwifery creates customized treatment plans, depending on the results of your bone scan, your symptoms, and your overall health. In some cases, you might benefit from medications like bisphosphonates, monoclonal antibody drugs, or other bone-building medicines. Some patients might also benefit from hormone therapy. 

Your doctor might also recommend physical therapy to help you develop strength and flexibility to decrease your risk of falling. They often recommend lifestyle adjustments, such as changing your shoes and removing falling hazards from your home. 

Call Lucina Women's Health and Midwifery, or make an appointment online today, for expert diagnosis and treatment for osteoporosis.