What Increases Your Risk for Bone Fractures and Osteoporosis?
Hey Ladies, we are back with yet another list
of risk factors that increase the risk of bone fractures and Osteoporosis. As
we all know, earlier we used hardly think about our bones or bone health,
if we frequently had bone fractures then we used to think it is all because we had
brittle bones, at the same time, with time if we had weak bones then the reason
used to be that it is all happening because of old age but my dear ladies times
have now changed and this the time when we have answers for everything that
happens as well as their precautions.
And that is the very reason why today we going
to look at what are the reasons that increase your risk for bone fractures and
Osteoporosis.
“Just in case you are still confused Magnesium not Calcium is the Key to Healthy Bones” – Anonymous
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis, literally meaning “porous bone,”
is a disease that causes the inner lining of the bones to be so small that even
falling or crashing into a car or furniture can cause fractures. Fractures can
occur anywhere in your skeletal system, but fractures of the wrist, hip, and spine
are among the most common.
Osteoporosis affects men and women of all
races. But white and Asian women, especially older women who are past
menopause, are at greater risk. Medications, a healthy diet, and exercise can
help prevent bone loss or strengthen already weakened bones.
What is Bone Fracture?
Bone fractures, commonly referred to as
fractures, occur with millions of people worldwide each year. Often caused by
sports injuries, car accidents, or falls, these painful injuries take time to
heal. Your healthcare provider has a few options for treating fractures.
If you have a broken bone, health care
providers call it a bone fracture. This break changes the shape of the bone.
These breaks may be straight to the bone or its length. A fracture can split a
bone in two or leave several pieces.
Who gets bone fractures?
Although the bones are very strong, they can
break. Usually, a fracture occurs because the bone runs in a strong force
(thrown forward in a car accident, by us). Also, repetitive force - such as
running - can break a bone. Healthcare providers call these types of injuries
separate depression.
Another cause of fracture is osteoporosis,
which weakens bones as you grow older. It is a serious condition, so older
adults should talk to their healthcare provider about their risks.
Things that increase your risk for bone fractures and osteoporosis:
Your bones are constantly renewed, new bone is
being formed, and old bones are being broken. When you are young, your body
makes new bone faster than it breaks an old bone, and your bone mass increases.
After the 20s the process is slow, and most people reach their maximum bone
mass by 30 years. As people get older, bone mass is lost faster than it was
created.
How likely you are to have osteoporosis depends
on how many bones you have acquired in your youth. The maximum bone mass is
partially achieved and varies by group. If you are too high, your bone grows
"in the bank" and you are less likely to have osteoporosis as you
grow older.
Certain medical conditions can threaten bone
strength directly or indirectly with medication and other treatments. These
include thyroid or parathyroid gland, chronic lung disease, cancer,
endometriosis, vitamin D deficiency, and medications such as prednisone.
Many
factors can increase the risk of osteoporosis - including your age, race,
lifestyle choices, and medical conditions.
- Age - Your bone strength is up to 30 years old. After that, you will begin to lose weight. So this is an additional reason to do strength training and exercise - and make sure you get enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet - to keep your bones as strong as possible as you grow older.
- Gender - Women over the age of 50 are the most likely to develop osteoporosis. This condition can occur 4 times more often in women than in men. The bones of women who are light, thin, and long live are part of the reason for their high risk. Men can get osteoporosis, too - rarely.
- Family history - If your parents or grandparents have arthritis or any other symptoms of osteoporosis, such as a broken hip after a small fall, you may be more likely to get it, too.
- Nationality - Studies show that Caucasian and Asian women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than women of other races. Hip fractures are also twice as likely to occur in Caucasian women as in African-American women.
- Certain diseases - Some diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, increase the risk of developing osteoporosis.
Irreversible risks:
Other
risk factors for osteoporosis and bone fractures are beyond your control,
including:
- Your gender - Women are more likely to have osteoporosis than men.
- Age - As you grow older, you are more likely to develop osteoporosis.
- Race - You are at greater risk of osteoporosis if you are white or of Asian descent.
- Family history - Having a parent with a sibling who has arthritis puts you at greater risk, especially if your mom or dad has a broken hip.
- Body frame size - Men and women with smaller body frames are more likely to be at risk because they may have less bone mass to produce as they grow older.
·
A diet low in calcium,
vitamin D, potassium or protein
- Inactivity
- Smoking
- Alcohol abuse
· Long-term use of drugs
such as glucocorticoids (such as prednisone for asthma or rheumatoid
arthritis), other anti-shock drugs, and overuse of aluminum antacids.
· An eating disorder that
reduces your body weight
· Low levels of estrogen
(female) or testosterone (male)
Apart
from the above-mentioned risk factors, Hormones also play an important role in
life where one can get osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis
is more common in people who have too many or too few hormones in their bodies.
Examples include:
- Sexual hormones - Reduced
sex hormone levels often make bones weaker. Decreased estrogen levels in women
during menopause are one of the most dangerous factors in developing
osteoporosis. Prostate cancer treatment that lowers testosterone levels in men
and breast cancer treatment that lowers estrogen levels in women may accelerate
bone loss.
- Thyroid problems -Too
much thyroid hormone can cause bone loss. This can happen if your thyroid is
overworked or if you are taking too many thyroid hormones to treat an
underactive thyroid gland.
- Other glands -
Osteoporosis is also associated with parathyroid paralysis and adrenal glands.
Now,
all the above-mentioned things sum up what increases your risk for bone
fractures and osteoporosis. But this also makes us come to the conclusion that
there are many reasons because of which we might get bone fractures and
osteoporosis and those can’t be changed like medical conditions, hormones and
so on but there is also the thing which is in our control like leading a healthy
life, not consuming much alcohol, smoking and so on. Thus, my dear friends make
sure to do whatever is in your hands to keep your bones in shape and healthy.