Osteoporosis is the medical name for the thinning of bones. This generally speeds up around the time a woman goes into menopause and, if not taken care of, causes weakening of the entire skeleton which may lead to painful and, in many cases, life changing breaks, fractures and damage.

Osteoporosis is a natural progression and stage of the aging process, in the same way as the loss of collagen in the cells of our faces results in a loosening of the skin and the formation of wrinkles. As we age, our bodies are affected by certain physical changes which are generally in sync with each other and which simply wear out from over use, in much the same way as a car or a machine would wear out.

Take, for example, one’s teeth. Even if they are in perfect condition with no bridges, crowns, root canal treatments or fillings, they will have chewed their way through tons of foods and been brushed many millions of times during their service as part of your digestive system. All the chewing and brushing will, in time, wear down the chewing surfaces and the loss of collagen will loosen the structures binding the gums to the teeth. This will result in the teeth becoming loose – a common problem in elderly people, which results in them eating softer and/or more liquid foods the older they become.

Osteoporosis, like other signs of aging, simply creeps up on us without our being aware of its damaging path. The first time we generally know about its presence is when a small fall or bump results in a very painful broken or fractured bone. Such a minor fall or bump in one’s youth would simply have caused an unsightly multicoloured bruise but, in older people with osteoporosis, it is common for such slight bumps and jars to cause a break or fracture.

The 3 important points about osteoporosis which you need to know are:

– The risk factors which cause women to develop this condition – over and above the aging process discussed above and being female – include being underweight, having lowered sex hormones as a result of the menopause, the effect of certain medications and, as in every other medical condition smoking.

– There are ways in which you may ameliorate and alleviate the effects of the condition. Participating in regular exercise such as walking, swimming or going to the gym a few times a week to keep your body as flexible as possible and in good general physical shape will go a long way to keeping your bones from further deteriorating.

– There are prescriptions medications available which your doctor may prescribe if the ratio between your age and the thinness of your bones do not correlate. One of the medications is a combination of calcium tablets and Vitamin D; stronger medicines may be indicated in really serious cases.

Exercise, linked to a healthy and balanced diet rich in calcium, has been proven to slow down the rate of decline of women’s bones during menopause, so this natural method should be your first choice.

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Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: healthy and balanced diet ,medications,aging process,menopause,Osteoporosis,natural progression ,med