risk of osteoporosis unnoticed in everyday life

Osteoporosis, which is known to have more than 10 million patients in an aging society...It is said that progressing increases the risk of fractures, and in the worst case, it can only cause lying down. Let's look at the detailed symptoms of osteoporosis and how to prevent it.

Not just the elderly...Characteristics of Osteoporosis Disease

It is a disease that decreases the strength of bones and increases the risk of fractures. The biggest cause is aging changes, especially a sharp decline in the amount of female hormones (estrogen) after menopause. Therefore, postmenopausal women develop osteoporosis rapidly as they get older. It is known that there are more than 10 million osteoporosis patients in the aging world.

In addition, steroid hormone preparations used to treat many diseases are known to cause osteoporosis, so even relatively young people need to respond.

Osteoporosis is a "fracture-prone bone."

Osteoporosis itself does not cause specific symptoms such as pain. However, when osteoporosis progresses, bones weaken, and fractures occur with a slight external force that usually does not cause fractures. The bones that are prone to fracture due to osteoporosis are the distal end of the radius (wrist), the neck of the femur (close to the hip of the thigh bone), and the spine.

If the wrist is fractured, it should be fixed with a cast for surgery or about a month. In most cases, surgery is necessary because it is known that fractures rarely heal naturally in the case of femur fractures and cause long-term lying. Depending on the shape of the fracture, the method of fixing it with metal or inserting an artificial joint is appropriately selected.

Spinal fractures often harden naturally after about a month, but the delayed healing of the fracture can cause long-lasting pain or a deformed bone to compress the spinal cord behind it, which can cause paralysis or numbness, and in this case, surgery is required. In addition, spinal fractures occur without pain, and these fractures are found in accidental X-ray scans. Once a fracture occurs, even if the fracture is completely cured, it often leaves some discomfort, and in the worst case, you may just lie down.

Osteoporosis can be prevented by 'a little bit of thinking' as usual

It is possible to prevent the progression of osteoporosis with a little bit of planning in your daily life. For example, intake of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K, which are ingredients that maintain good bone quality, can be said to be preventable immediately. Let's consciously introduce dairy products, fish, natto, and seaweed that contain a lot of these ingredients into our meals. In addition, for the elderly who are prone to osteoporosis, proper exercise habits outside the house can maintain muscle strength and balance, help prevent falls, and activate vitamin D from getting sunlight. It would be good to make a habit.

to check the bone condition before fracture

Osteoporosis does not show symptoms until fracture occurs, so those who are known to be prone to osteoporosis, such as women or steroid hormones after menopause, need to take an opportunity to look at the bone condition. General X-ray imaging can roughly determine if you have osteoporosis by observing bone conditions, but it is necessary to measure bone density (amount or component of bone) with a dedicated machine to determine whether drug treatment is necessary.

In addition, once a fracture due to osteoporosis is experienced, it is epidemiologically pointed out that there is a high risk of fractures in other areas, so those with existing fractures due to osteoporosis are also subject to medication. X-ray examination will examine for painless spinal fractures.

Drugs that are widely used today include active vitamin D derivatives and parathyroid hormones that promote bone formation, a substance called bisphosphonate that inhibits bone absorption, and anti-RANKL antibodies, which are appropriately selected according to the severity of osteoporosis. To determine the effectiveness of the treatment, bone density is regularly measured, and if improvement is insufficient, it is changed to a more effective drug.

Prevention of osteoporosis leads to a 'rich retirement life'

Do you know the term "healthy life expectancy"?

Health life expectancy refers to the period during which humans can work healthily without deteriorating their physical function even when they get older. Modern people's life expectancy has reached an all-time high in 2020, but if health life does not increase, they will not be able to have a pleasant retirement, which will lead to an increase in nursing care demand and social security costs. Currently, the difference between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy is known to be about 10 years, and the extension of healthy life expectancy is a big challenge for society.

The old man is hereIf determined to be nursing care, it can be seen that one-quarter of the causative diseases are motor diseases, and motor diseases such as osteoporosis have a significant impact on health life. If you have a disability in your exercise machine, you cannot have a happy old age because you cannot do what you want to do even if you live for a long time or spend a long time lying down. Preventing and treating osteoporosis, which also leads to major motor disorders, is very important for a rich retirement life. For those who are prone to osteoporosis, such as women or those who have had steroid hormones after menopause, it is recommended to consult a professional clinic once before fracture occurs.