Can I Prevent Osteoporosis?

Here’s a Three-pronged plan to advertise bone well being and assist stop osteoporosis: Calcium, vitamin D and train!

Did you recognize that after a sure age, your physique now not creates any new bone density? Sometime between the ages of 30 and menopause, your physique stops including bone density to your skeleton. This is why it’s so essential to bone up on bone well being—and construct as a lot bone as doable out of your late teen via early maturity.

What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a medical situation whereby our bones grow to be brittle, skinny and fragile. On X-ray photos, bones affected by osteoporosis appear like Swiss cheese, they usually’re extra more likely to break in the event you fall or have an accident. Having weak, skinny bones will increase your probabilities of growing osteoporosis later in life. Osteoporosis is widespread: More than 54 million individuals have it, and 1 in 2 ladies can have a fracture or break a bone associated to osteoporosis throughout her lifetime.

Just being a feminine in menopause makes you extra more likely to have brittle, skinny bones. So does:

• being Asian or Caucasian
• being very skinny or petite
• having a household historical past of osteoporosis
• having a mom who had a hip fracture associated to skinny bones
• smoking cigarettes
• ingesting a number of alcohol or caffeinated drinks
• utilizing sure medicines together with steroids (for greater than Three months)
• taking some medicines to deal with breast most cancers.

Can osteoporosis be prevented?

As a girl, even in the event you’re age 30 or older and have already reached your peak bone mass, it’s essential to get sufficient calcium in your weight-reduction plan to maintain your bones sturdy. Dairy and darkish leafy greens are your finest meals sources; dietary supplements are efficient too. Ask your nurse what sort of dietary supplements may match finest for you primarily based on any medical situations and medicines you might be utilizing.

Curious about calcium-containing meals? Check out the calcium calculator on the National Osteoporosis Foundation on-line at nof.org for info on calcium from meals. How Can I Save My Bones?

You’ve received Three nice instruments to help your bones: calcium, vitamin D and train. Calcium is vital to saving bones. Experts on the National Institutes of Health suggest 1,000 mg of calcium day by day for girls ages 19-50; bump up that really helpful day by day consumption to 1,200 mg after you have a good time your 51^st birthday.

Vitamin D is calcium’s companion and consultants agree you’ll additionally want loads of it to maintain your bones sturdy. Unfortunately, vitamin D is a bit tougher to get from meals.

While sunshine is an efficient pure supply for vitamin D, it’s arduous to get sufficient except you reside within the southeast a part of the US. And even in the event you stay someplace like sunny Florida, carrying sunscreen or a hat blocks pure vitamin D. Consider taking a D complement—600 IU every day as much as the age of 70, when your RDA bumps to 800 IU a day. Some research suggest extra, however by no means exceed four,000 IU per day.

Lastly, add in weight-bearing train (just about something aside from swimming) to maintain your bones wholesome and powerful. Walking – even with out holding weights– is a simple solution to preserve your skeleton sturdy.

Osteoporosis and being pregnant

You could have heard that in being pregnant, your child really takes a few of your calcium out of your bones and tooth to develop their very own sturdy skeleton. This makes getting sufficient calcium throughout being pregnant much more essential in order that your bones don’t grow to be thinner as your nourish your child.

Check your prenatal vitamin—in the event you don’t have not less than 1,000 mg of calcium, discuss together with your nurse about including a calcium complement. If you’re age 18 or youthful, your really helpful day by day want is 1,300 mg.

And your want for calcium continues via breastfeeding: You lose a small little bit of calcium via breast milk, and this may have an effect on your bones, so that you would possibly wish to think about a complement. Continue to take vitamin D, too. Your nurse could suggest taking somewhat extra—1,000–1,500 IU every day—throughout being pregnant and breastfeeding. And don’t neglect train—this can be a behavior you’ll all the time want for a wholesome life!

How can I do know if I’m in danger for osteoporosis?

Routine testing of your bone density isn’t typically really helpful till you’ve gone via menopause, which occurs for the common American lady between ages 48-55. If you’re not but menopausal and are taking medicines that may trigger bone loss, like steroids, your nurse could wish to get a bone density baseline.

Once you’ve reached menopause, and undoubtedly by age 65, you’ll wish to have a bone density take a look at referred to as DEXA. This display is really helpful to verify the density and power of your bones and decide your danger for fracture. The DEXA take a look at is painless and includes a really low-level X-ray of your backbone and hip and typically your wrist.

Talk to your nurse to be taught when you must begin DEXA testing and the way typically to do it. You may discuss to your nurse about checking your vitamin D ranges. If your degree is discovered to be low, you might must take increased quantities and even prescription-strength vitamin D. However, vitamin D degree testing isn’t really helpful throughout being pregnant.

You could not typically take into consideration your bones, however they’re residing, lively elements of you!  And you will have the ability to stop bone fractures with easy plans to get sufficient calcium and vitamin D from meals and dietary supplements and train commonly. You even have the ability to verify your kids and teenagers get sufficient calcium and train through the essential youthful years when they’re nonetheless making sturdy bone each day. This power will carry them into maturity with a strong skeleton and wholesome physique.

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