Osteoporosis-You may be in the statistics .Check it out!!
Osteoporosis is one of the most common diseases in the world.1 in 3 women over 45 will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis, this increases to 1 in two over 65.
1 in 6 men will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis, it increases to 1 in 3 over sixty years of age.
Worldwide, 1.6 million hip fractures occur each year and 95% of these are attributed to osteoporosis. This is set to increase to 7 million by the year 2050.
The yearly incidence rate of osteoporotic fractures in women is greater than the combined incidence rates of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer put together.
1 in 3 females and 1 in 9 males in India have osteoporosis.
Osteoporotic hip fractures occur at an earlier age(approximately 15 to 20 years earlier) in Indians than in Caucasians.
Currently, more than 80 million people in India have osteoporosis and almost 70% of them are women.
Can I get Osteoporosis?
*Risk of Osteoporosis increases proportionately with age
*Women are easily affected by this desease especially after menopause,due to many hormonal changes which take place during this phase.
*People with a past history of being easily susceptible to fractures or with a family history of osteoporosis are likely to have it.
*Long term use of medication for convulsions,hormonal disorders,diabetes and thyroid problems can cause osteoporosis.
*Lack of physical exercise,Unbalanced diet,Smoking and drinking alcohol can lead to osteoporosis as well.
*people with liver problems,renal deseases,rheumatoid and other form of arthritis,Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus,chronic gastrointestinal disorders are susceptible to osteoporosis.
*People with stomach surgery and gyanacological surgeries like hysterectomy(removal of uterus) and oophorectomy(removal of ovaries) are also at a very high risk of osteoporosis.
Symptoms of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is also called "Silent Thief" because it silently robs bones of the calcium which is stored in them.This sometimes happens in such a slow and silent manner that the patient does not have any physical disability or complaint until a substantial amount of bone mass is lost.In early stages of this disease,that is during the phase of "Osteopenia" very few people have any complaints at all other than general fatigue and tiredness which they commonly attribute to stress and work pressure.Backache,superficial bone pain and fractures occurring even with trivial force (e.g.fracture of the hip,sustained due to a fall from the bed while sleeping at night) should draw one's attention towards osteoporosis.People having symptoms similar to those mentioned above should undergo an evaluation to rule out osteoporosis.
What is Osteoporosis?
Our body as you know, is made up of bones,muscles,fat,minerals,vitamins and skin.Among these minerals and vitamins, calcium plays a very important role in the formation and preservation of bone.It is interesting that, in quantity calcium is almost equal to all the other minerals in our body,put together.If our daily intake of calcium,its absorption in our digestive system or its metabolism in our endocrine system fails,then all the calcium that has been stored in our bones(In fact,bones are our calcium bank)will be absorbed into the blood stream.If this happens for a long period then it weakens the bone to reach a stage called "Osteopenia"(precursor to osteoporosis).If this continues further on it leads to a serious consequence,that is a disease called Osteoporosis.
NEXT-Symptoms of the disease?