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What Is Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a process that causes bones to lose calcium and become weak. Sometimes, the bones become so weak that those in the spine, hip and wrist can break simply by falling on them, or even while sneezing or coughing.

Bones are made mostly of two substances. Collagen forms the bone framework, and calcium phosphate makes the bones hard. During your lifetime, your body uses old bone as a source of calcium for important body processes, and then it builds new bone. This breakdown and rebuilding is a continuous process. From childhood through young adulthood, more new bone is formed than is used. Your bones are their thickest between ages 25 and 30. After age 30, your body starts to use more bone than it builds.

Osteoporosis mainly affects women but may also affect men. It can develop when bone is broken down too quickly or when it is replaced too slowly. It is possible that osteoporosis may develop if you did not reach optimal bone mass during your bone-building years.

Osteoporosis develops without symptoms. Many people do not know that they have it until a slight injury or a bump causes a fracture. Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for 44 million Americans, about 70% of whom are women.

You may be at risk if:

• You are a woman. Because of the changes that happen with menopause, women have less bone mass and lose it faster than men.
• You are an older adult. The older you are, the more likely you are to develop osteoporosis.
• You are a small person. A smaller person usually has smaller, thinner bones.
• You are white or Asian.
• Someone in your family has the condition.
• You had the eating disorder anorexia nervosa.
• You do not get enough calcium and vitamin D from your diet or through supplements.
• You smoke.
• You drink excessively.
• You are sedentary, with little or no weight-bearing exercise.

Sometimes drug therapy can increase your risk for osteoporosis. Your doctor is your best source of information on this issue.

If you think you are at risk for osteoporosis, talk to your doctor. Your doctor can tell you if you have it and discuss treatment options.

Even if you are younger than 30, you can take steps now to help reduce your risk when you get older:

• Don't smoke.
• Limit your alcohol consumption.
• Exercise regularly. Weight-bearing exercise can slow bone loss, help you keep your good posture, and improve your balance to reduce your risk of falls. Walking, gardening, even climbing stairs are good exercises. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise.
• Get plenty of calcium and vitamin D. You can get calcium from low-fat or nonfat dairy products: milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream. Vitamin D is found in milk and in foods such as liver, fish and egg yolks. Spending reasonable amounts of time in the sun can also help the body make its own vitamin D.