Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by decreased bone density, in which the bones become porous, so that people with osteoporosis are very fragile and susceptible to trauma, and also prone to fracture. The disease is common and usually affects the elderly, especially after menopause, and are dominated by women, or about 75%.
Osteoporosis increases the risk of bone fractures, especially of the hip, wrist and spine. This happens due to the lack of new bone formation or resorption increase (re-absorption) long bones.
Some of the causes of Osteoporosis:
- Hormone deficiency in the body (in women; estrogen deficiency, and in men; androgen deficiency).
- Calcium and vitamin D deficiency (lack of calcium and vitamin D in the body, can lead to osteoporosis and vitamin D can help the absorption of calcium in the bones).
- Some other causes such as bone cancer that can cause a reduction in bone density, lack of physical exercise or sports, heredity, duration of use of steroid drugs or because of thyroid disease.
Some tips to prevent osteoporosis and maintain healthy bones (increasing bone density):
- Diet (such as eating foods that contain lots of calcium, such as non-fat yogurt, cheese, milk, canned foods like sardines, tuna, salmon. Eat foods that contain lots of potassium and vitamin K, to prevent reduced calcium in the bones. And eat soybeans, to maintain bone density.
- Sports (sports or physical exercise can increase stamina, strength and posture, increase flexibility and balance, thus helping to prevent the rottenness of the bones).
- Healthy lifestyle such as stop the intake of alcohol, because alcohol can prevent the absorption of calcium in the bones, stop smoking because smoking can increase bone fractures in old age.
- Sulpemen consumption required if the intake of calcium and vitamin D3 lacking in the body.
Some types of osteoporosis:
- Osteoporosis after menopause, or (postmenopausal type), the characteristics of this type of osteoporosis is a change in the spine that causes severe pain and bone fractures.
- Senile osteoporosis or often called by the type of dementia, where this type of osteoporosis occurs in older people with more than 75 years of age and usually common pelvic fracture.
- Secondary type, usually the type of osteoporosis that caused a lot of endocrine disorders such as diabetes and hyperthyroidism and can also be caused by systemic diseases such as leukemia or malignant disease, or it could be caused by different therapies, such as drug use corticosteroids or anti-seizure medications.