What is Menopausal Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is described as a disease that results in wear and tear of the bones making them more prone to sudden fractures. The term ‘Osteoporosis’ itself stands for spongy bone that indicates the main feature of the disease - loss of bone mass and potency. Frighteningly, the disease develops without any signs or aches and that the only way to detect it is through painful fractures in the back or hips. More unfortunately, once such an osteoporotic fracture occurs, the risk of more bone fractures also becomes high. And guess what? It is shocking that 80% women are suffering from osteoporosis.

Bones need calcium for strength and density. So, if there is no enough calcium in the body which the women do not tend to have right since the teenage period; osteoporosis is more likely to take place in them during menopause. As per a survey, around 70% of the people on the globe do not take sufficient calcium in their diet.

As women are more vulnerable to osteoporosis, they need to take some measures to prevent or treat it in their later years or before. Keep reading to know about the symptoms, causes, and prevention and treatment tips.

• Osteoporosis SymptomsA proactive approach is required as the symptoms of osteoporosis are not easily evident. Some of the common symptoms include loss of height due to weak spine; fractured bones; cramps in the legs; bone pain; neck, spine, and lower back pain; abdominal pain; fatigue; and brittle nails of fingers. And yes, a person suffering from osteoporosis might lose 6 inches in height too.
• Osteoporosis Causes During menopause, osteoporosis is mostly the result of hormonal fluctuations. Estrogen is the major hormone that wanes as the menopause approaches putting a woman at a greater risk of this disease. In fact, women in postmenopausal stage are more vulnerable to osteoporosis because they are left with some one-tenth of the total estrogen present in the premenopausal women.
  
  The sufficient level of estrogen aids the bones in absorbing the required amounts of calcium to refill the mass as cells die. Further, the body with the help of estrogen controls the amount of destroyed bone cells. Healthy bones are always in need of osteoclasts (cells to fail bones) and osteoblasts (cells to make bones). When the estrogen level drops, osteoclasts’ life span becomes higher leading to breakdown of the bones at a rate much more than their new formation. So, it is obvious, that low estrogen level increases the risk of the disease.
  
  Despite the fact that the experts claim about the diminished hormonal levels as the major cause of osteoporosis, there are yet some more causes of osteoporosis, which are listed below.
• Medications:Avoid having glucocorticoid medications, prednisolone, excess thyroid hormone replacement, the blood thinner heparin, and certain anti-convulsant medications.
• Lack of Calcium: This results in insufficient bone growth since youth. So, increase the intake of calcium right from today onwards.
• Genetic Factors: If a woman’s mother has osteoporosis, the woman herself is more likely to suffer from the disease.
 
• Prevention and Treatment Tips
• Consume enough calcium.
• Ensure enough vitamin D.
• Exercise properly.
• Avoid alcohol and smoking.
• Avoid obesity.
• Take herbs that stimulate the production of hormones.
• Seek advice from the doctor in case of extremity to go for drugs and surgery, which is the most risky part of the osteoporosis treatment.
• Wear flat shoes to avoid fall.
• Wear glasses for accurate vision (so that you do not fall).
• Ensure that there are no movable rugs and carpets or trailing electrical flexes.
• Repair any torn rugs or carpets.
• Avoid going in dark places.
• Take care while taking medicines such as sleeping pills and sedatives that lead to drowsiness putting a person on a higher risk to trip or stumble.
• Consult a doctor if there is an experience of dizziness or a risk of falling is felt.
• For the people who get up during the night to visit the toilet, use a chamber pot to prevent any kind of falling in the dark. Alternatively, consider turning on some lights on the route from the bed to the toilet. Further, ensure that this route is safe and clear of stuff that can result in a fall.