Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is not a normal or necessary part of aging! Many researchers believe osteoporosis is caused by health practices early in life.
It's never too early to talk to your doctor about ways to prevent the low bone density which causes osteoporosis, or current therapies available for treating this condition.
Vertebral osteoporosis causes serious problems for women. A fracture can occur from such simple day-to-day activities as climbing stairs, lifting small objects, or just bending forward. Osteoporosis is characterized by:
- Sloping shoulders
- Curve in the back
- Height loss
- Back pain
- Hunched posture
Talk to your doctor about a bone density scan, and discuss healthy eating and exercise practices aimed at preventing tragic and totally unnecessary early bone loss.
I’ve been hearing a lot lately about osteoporosis. What should I know?
Lower estrogen levels during and after menopause can increase the risk of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by depleted bone mass, where bones become porous and fragile because of reduced or slowed bone turnover. Over the course of life, our bodies constantly remove and replace calcium in our bones. It is a necessary and natural cycle in all healthy women and men.
As we age, our bodies' ability to restore calcium to our bones decreases. Those with low bone density (LBD) are most affected by this change, often developing osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a major public health concern because it affects 25 million Americans, mostly women. In fact, women are four times more likely than men to suffer depleted bone density associated with aging. You can’t feel your bones getting weaker – there just aren’t any symptoms. But lower bone density means a greater chance of fractures in the hip, spine, and wrist. These fractures, particularly in the hip, can lead to significantly increased risk of disability and disease, especially in post-menopausal women.
Because many researchers now believe that the low bone density that causes osteoporosis is caused by health practices early in life, it is never too early to talk to your doctor about osteoporosis.
We offer a simple and easy screening that allows us to diagnose osteoporosis risk, and begin a treatment strategy to help reduce the risk of lower bone density, and the injuries that result. Let’s discuss whether a bone density study is right for you.
Other than my bones, a re there any other parts of my body which might be affected?
For some women, gum disease and tooth loss begin after menopause. In addition to affecting bone, lower estrogen levels can also affect the connective tissue around the body. This is particularly noticed in the gums, where there is an increased incidence of gum disease and tooth loss in postmenopausal years. It’s a time to make regular visits to your dentist, even if you’ve gotten by with infrequent visits over the past decades.
What about vaginal dryness and vaginal and urinary tract infections?
The depletion of connective tissue due to low estrogen levels can also affect the genitourinary system. Postmenopausal women experience increased vaginal dryness due to the weakening and thinning of tissue in the vagina and in the urinary tract. The weakening of this tissue can increase vaginal and urinary tract infection, and can make sexual intercourse more difficult.
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