Medical Keywords - Everything you need to know about health.

5 Things You Must Know About

1. Osteoporosis or thin bones are caused when bone cells are not replaced, as fast as they are degenerated. Generally old bones are reabsorbed by the body followed by formation of new bones. Osteoporosis occurs more in women than in men, primarily in women above 45 years of age or who have had menopause. Osteoporosis is also called as brittle bone disease where the person suffering from has a high risk of fracture of various bones. The main complication as such is fracture and to some extent over-treatment of may cause kidney stones, or can make you wheel-chair bound. Many other causes of is being confined to bed due to long-term illness, side effects from steroid supplements, hormonal imbalance etc.

2. Treatment of aims at pain control, bone loss regulation, and fracture prevention. The hormones that regulate bone formation and destruction are calcitonin, parathormones, and bisphosphonates, and the drugs of choice for a physician for the treatment of is calcium replacement. Hormone replacement therapy have been highly effective in combating and also helps women go through menopausal symptoms hassle-free.

3. Various deficiency diseases are also blamed as the first-hand cause for . The deficiency of calcium, magnesium, and iron can also cause this disease. Dietary intake of calcium and magnesium in the required quantities can prevent this disease from recurring. There are also conditions when the calcium you take through your diet are not utilized by the body due to hormonal abnormalities. In this case parathormone and calcitonin are given to patients with .

4. Early detection and intervention of has high favorable outcomes. There are many diagnostic tests to determine the ongoing in the body. They are bone densitometry, or bone density tests that precisely determines the thickness of bones and the existing calcium deposits in the bone. A CT scan of the spine could also identify if the spine is normal or shows any signs of thinning of the bones. Occasionally severe cases of shows up on plane x-ray and can easily be detected. However, plane x-ray cannot determine the exact thickness of the bone and cannot predict how much bone is lost in the body. Blood tests including serum calcitonin and calcium levels in the blood are also helpful. The series of tests are prescribed by your doctor in identifying the exact nature of the disease and also helps in prescribing the correct treatment regime.

5. Regular exercise like walking, stretch bands, yoga, stationary bicycle helps a lot in combating weight loss as they bring back the regular metabolic activity of the body to normal. A high calcium diet is recommended with a calcium of 1200 IU, and a D3 of 800 to 1000 IU. Following a diet that contains high proteins and minerals ensures proper supply of the essential requirement of the body, but may not completely reverse the scenario. It is important to identify the exact nature of , the hormone that is lacking in quantity that regulates calcium levels and repleting it naturally or by the use of drugs.