WHAT SENIORS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OSTEOPOROSIS

Your bones represent living tissue that constantly breaks down and regenerates new tissue. Osteoporosis develops when the development of new tissues cannot keep up with the breakdown of old tissue. Bones then start to lose their strength, which can lead to fractures and other types of painful injuries. Even the mild stress produced by coughing and bending over can cause a compromised bone to break. At our senior living center in Denver, Colorado, our caregivers and healthcare providers educate residents about everything they need to know about osteoporosis.

What Are the Symptoms of Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis can be a difficult medical condition to detect during the early stages of the disease. The loss of bone mass does not create enough health issues for someone to notice their bones have lost tissue. However, as the disease advances into the middle stages, you might notice a loss of height over time, as well as you walk with a stooped posture. The disease becomes easy to notice in the later stages of development when a bone breaks or you suffer back pain caused by a broken or collapsed bone located in the spine.

You should discuss the symptoms of osteoporosis with your healthcare provider if you went through early menopause or took corticosteroids for several months in a row. In addition, consult with your physician if one or both parents lived with the disease.

What Are the Risk Factors of Osteoporosis?

You should be concerned about risks that are manageable and unmanageable when it comes to developing the symptoms of osteoporosis. Risks that you cannot change include your gender, as women are more likely to live with the disease. The older you get, the more likely your bones start to lose tissue. Whites and Asians are the two races most frequently impacted by the disease. The size of your body frame matters as well because larger body frames place much more stress on compromised bones. Family history also plays a role in determining the likelihood that you might develop the symptoms of osteoporosis.

You can manage osteoporosis by following the right diet. Make sure to consume enough calcium daily. Low calcium intake levels can trigger the development of osteoporosis. If you do not get enough calcium through natural food sources, add a calcium supplement to your diet to make up the difference. An eating disorder that involves restricting the amount of food consumed can lead to bone fractures because underweight men and women do not possess sufficient bone mass. Certain medical conditions, such as cancer, liver disease, and celiac disease compound the healthcare issues that develop because of osteoporosis.

How to Prevent the Development of Osteoporosis

Changing a few lifestyle choices can help you prevent or at least delay the development of osteoporosis symptoms. First, exercising helps strengthen the bones. Exercises such as walking, cycling, and weightlifting are especially effective at working out the bones enough to prevent the loss of bone mass. If you smoke or drink alcohol, ceasing both habits can improve your chances of not developing the symptoms of osteoporosis. For seniors at our assisted living center in Denver, 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day can provide the level of support bones need to remain strong. Food sources such as salmon, calcium-fortified cereals, and dark green, leafy vegetables provide the right amount of calcium for your diet. You also need at least 600 international units of vitamin D per day, which are received from food sources like milk and salmon.