Osteoporosis - The disease is silent

Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones weak and brittle. If this happens, the bone is more prone to fracture than normal, so just a slight bump or fall can cause severe bone fracture.

Any bones on the body can break, but most commonly the hip bones, spine, wrist bones, ribs, pelvis and arm bones.

Osteoporosis is a silent disease, with no signs or symptoms showing that the patient is ill, only detected when a fracture is present.

Causes of osteoporosis in men and women:

- The patient has little or no activity
- Smoker
- People drink a lot
- Light weight
- Fewer eat foods high in calcium (Calcium)
- Often falling

Some cases have a high risk of osteoporosis:

- Have a father, mother or grandparent with osteoporosis or a family member who has suffered a bone fracture.
- Women
- Westerners or Asians
- People have small stature
- Slow to puberty or early menstruation
- Suffering from thinness leading to irregular menstruation, or irregular menstruation
- Having suffered a fracture due to osteoporosis
- Other diseases such as rheumatism, chronic liver disease or kidney failure
- Age over 60
- Thyroid (thyroid) or parathyroid (parathyroid) is abnormal, or has been treated with thyroid hormones.
- Male but with low levels of male hormones
- Long-term treatment with medications containing corticosteroids (eg Prednisone)

There are many cases of patients who are surprised to discover that they have osteoporosis because this process proceeds silently. Once there are abnormal clinical signs such as pain, numbness, height reduction . the disease has become serious. Therefore, older people, especially women, need to regularly check their bone health at medical facilities, measure bone density to control osteoporosis. Listen to the advice of doctors to have the most appropriate lifestyle.

Osteoporosis needs to be prevented from childhood by:

- Eat foods high in calcium and vitamin D. For most people, if you use dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, 3 times a day, enough calcium is needed for your body. .

- Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Food contains a small amount of vitamin D such as egg yolk, saltwater fish and butter made with vegetable fat (manarine). The most abundant source of vitamin D is sunshine (but care should be taken to avoid sunburn).

- Practicing exercises that require lots of exercise, carrying heavy objects to strengthen bones, for example walking, playing tennis, dancing and weightlifting.

- If possible, check bone density (BMD)
- Ask your doctor if you need to take a bone tonic
- Ask your doctor what kind of medicine has side effects to make your bones thin, to avoid using them.
- Stop smoking
- Reduce alcohol consumption.