What are Osteoporosis Symptoms and Osteoporosis Prevention Techniques?
Osteoporosis Symptoms
Osteoporosis doesn't show any symptom in its early stages. In later stages, as the disease progresses and bones become weak some osteoporosis symptoms can be seen. Osteoporosis is also referred to as a silent disease since bone loss occurs but without any symptoms. Many people don't even know that they have osteoporosis for years until a fracture occurs.
Some of the osteoporosis symptoms that are seen in later stages of the disease include:
- Low back pain, which can be severe if there is a fracture in the spine (vertebra)
- Loss of height or curving of the spine, which is accompanied by stooped posture
- Neck pain
- Fractures of spine, hips, wrists or other bones
- Bone pain
Osteoporosis Prevention
Osteoporosis can't be cured completely by any osteoporosis treatment. There is a famous saying "PREVENTION IS A BETTER CURE". As the saying goes preventing osteoporosis is anytime better than trying to cure it. There are many ways that help in osteoporosis prevention. Some of them include:
High Intake of Calcium Foods: Eating foods rich in calcium may help you in preventing osteoporosis. High intake of calcium helps to build and strengthen bones. Foods rich in calcium include dairy products, milk, almonds, green leaf y vegetables, broccoli, oats, cauliflower, canned salmon and sardines with the bones, cooked kale, sesame seeds, tofu, collards and soy products.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps the human body to absorb calcium. Vitamin D not only improves bone health but also improves bone strength. Therefore along with calcium intake, adequate intake of vitamin D is also essential for osteoporosis prevention. Foods rich in vitamin D include eggs, cereals, oily fish like sardines and tuna and fatty fish like salmon. Twenty minutes of exposure to sunlight every day may help your body make enough vitamin D.
Supplements: Taking calcium and vitamin D supplements may help in osteoporosis prevention. One of the advantages of supplements is that they are inexpensive and well absorbed by the body. Calcium supplements may sometimes lead to constipation. Calcium citrate and calcium carbonate are good sources of calcium supplements, which are less constipating. Taking more than 2000 mg of calcium or vitamin supplements is not recommended as it may cause kidney diseases.
Exercise: Regular exercise may help in osteoporosis prevention as it prevents bone loss and strengthens bones and muscles. A combination of weight-bearing exercises and strength-training exercises may help a lot. Weight-bearing exercises like walking, jogging, dancing, running, playing tennis and skiing help in strengthening the bones and muscles of your hips, legs and lower spine. Strength-training exercises help in strengthening the bones and muscles of your upper spine and arms.
Medications: Certain medications like Bisphosphonates, Evista, Calcitonin and Forteo that are used in osteoporosis treatment also help in preventing osteoporosis. Avoid the consumption of medications like steroids, anticoagulants, thyroid medications and medications used in seizures treatment as they can increase the rate of bone loss if not taken as per directions.
Other than these, there are certain preventive measures that can help in osteoporosis prevention. They include:
- Limit the consumption of alcohol as it reduces body's ability to absorb calcium.
- Avoid smoking as it increases bone loss thus increasing the risk of osteoporosis.
- Limit caffeine intake as it has many negative effects on health.
- Include soy in your diet as it contains plant estrogens, which help in maintaining bone density and reduce the risk of bone fractures.
- Avoid the foods like soft drinks and red meats as they can affect the body's calcium absorption.