WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?

One of the most important reasons to encourage a loved one to move into a senior living center in Everett, Washington is to ensure your loved one receives the best medical care. From participating in heart-healthy activities to interacting with fellow residents, an assisted living facility near Arlington can help a loved one achieve and maintain robust mental and physical health. One of the focus areas for our team of healthcare providers concerns the development of the common senior ailment called osteoporosis.

The development of osteoporosis causes bones to lose strength to the point where they become highly vulnerable to damage. Even mild stress such as coughing can trigger an event that damages a bone or set of bones. Bones develop by constantly breaking down and then replacing the old living tissue with new living tissue. When the bone mass replacement process does not keep pace with the breaking down process, you might have to deal with osteoporosis.

What Are the Symptoms of Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis shows several signs of development. One common symptom is experiencing back pain, which is triggered by a broken or collapsed bone located in the spine. Losing height over time can indicate the development of osteoporosis that can be detected if you or someone else notices you have started walking with a stooped posture. Breaking a bone due to something as benign as bending over to tie your shoes also is a symptom of osteoporosis.

We encourage every resident at our assisted living center in Lynnwood to discuss how to detect the development of osteoporosis with one of our licensed caretakers.

What Are the Risk Factors for Developing Osteoporosis?

One common risk factor associated with the development of osteoporosis concerns aging. The older we get, the greater the risk of experiencing one or more signs of the disease. Women are more likely to develop osteoporosis symptoms than men, and the disease is more commonly found in Asian and Caucasian women. Both men and women who carry smaller body frames are at a higher risk because there is less bone mass to work with as they grow older. Finally, family history plays a role in the incidence of osteoporosis as well.

How Can I Prevent the Development of Osteoporosis?

As with most other types of medical conditions, regular exercise and following a nutritious diet can help stave off the symptoms of osteoporosis. Calcium represents a vital mineral for your body to process because of its ability to strengthen bone mass. Men and women between the ages of 18 and 50 require 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, but that amount increases to 1,200 milligrams a day when women turn 50 and men turn 70. Ample sources of calcium include soy products like tofu and dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient because it enhances the ability of the body to absorb calcium. You might meet the minimum daily requirement for ingesting calcium, but it is not enough because your body does not process enough vitamin D. You can receive ample vitamin D by exposure to sunlight, but you also should supplement the natural source with food sources like canned salmon and fortified milk. Taking a supplement should help you achieve the daily minimum requirement for vitamin D. Most people require at least 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day, but that recommendation increases for everyone who reaches 70 years old.

At our senior living center in Everett, WA, caregivers emphasize helping our residents prevent the development of common diseases such as osteoporosis. Discover why your loved one will be in good hands at MorningStar at Silver Lake by scheduling a tour with one of our resident services specialists.