Are you suffering from weak bones? — Patient Guide for Lucknow Are you suffering from weak bones? — Patient Guide for Lucknow — लखनऊ में मार्गदर्शन

Bone disease is a silent and a disabling condition that develops through a woman’s life as age progresses.

Osteopenia refers to early signs of bone loss that can turn into osteoporosis. With osteopenia, bone mineral density (thickness) is lower than normal. However, it is not yet low enough to be considered as osteoporosis. It is important to remember that not everyone who has osteopenia develops osteoporosis.

But osteopenia can turn into osteoporosis

But osteopenia can turn into osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can result in easily fractured bones and other serious bone problems. It can also cause disfigurement and lead to loss of mobility and independence.

With ageing, your body absorbs back the minerals from your bones, leading to weak bones and making them vulnerable to fractures and other damage. How is Osteopenia Diagnosed? Bone health is measured in two ways. The first is bone density. Bone density defines the thickness of your bone. The second is bone mass.

Bone mass means how much bone you have. Bone mass or the amount of bone you have, usually peaks when a person is around 30 years of age. Then bone mass begins to decline. Your body starts to reabsorb bone faster than new bone can be made.

Common causes and risk factors

To find bone density, blood tests are done to measure the levels of minerals in your bones such as Calcium Phosphate Vitamin D and its analogues The denser the content of your bone mineral is, the stronger your bones are. Checkout bone fracture healing foods. What are the risk factors for osteopenia and osteoporosis?

Risk factors for developing osteopenia are the same as those for developing osteoporosis.

They include: Being female Being thin and/or having a small frame Getting too little calcium in the diet Smoking Leading an inactive lifestyle A history of anorexia nervosa A family history of osteoporosis Heavy alcohol consumption Early menopause Most people with osteopenia don’t know they have it.

In fact, the first sign may be a broken bone

In fact, the first sign may be a broken bone. A broken bone may mean that the condition has already become osteoporosis. How can a doctor test Osteopenia and osteoporosis? The most accurate way to diagnose osteopenia and osteoporosis is through bone mineral density testing.

This is usually done with a Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. DEXA scan results are reported as T-scores: Normal bone: T-score above -1 Osteopenia: T-score between -1 and -2. 5 Osteoporosis: T-score of -2. 5 or lower Other tests can be done to help diagnose osteoporosis and osteopenia.

Quantitative ultrasound is one such test. It measures the speed of sound in the bone to assess bone density and strength. Who should get a bone density test?

Treatment and self-care

It is recommended that you get bone density screening done if: You are a woman and above 65 years of age You are a woman above 60 years of age with certain risk factors that put you at increased risk of fracture Does Osteoporosis make you tired?

Most patients diagnosed with Osteoporosis, usually feel pain for most of the day. This leads to poor quality of sleep where patients are unable to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. Ultimately, this makes the patient feel tired throughout the next day.

Therefore, fatigue and osteoporosis are interlinked with each other. Weak Bones Bone health is affected to a great extent in patients who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. In these patients, the living tissue becomes brittle and there are higher chances of fracture.

Consult Dr. Kumar Deepak in Lucknow

Persistent joint, bone, or muscle symptoms deserve a structured evaluation rather than repeated self-treatment alone.

Dr. Kumar Deepak — M.S. Ortho (Gold Medalist), F.I.J.R | ASAMI | AO Trauma — consults at The OrthoVision Clinic and Remedy Medicity, Lucknow. Call to book an appointment and discuss a plan suited to your activity level.