What is Osteoporosis? Know about its symptoms, causes and treatment
Do you know that frequent joint pain or bone pain can be a sign of Osteoporosis? Do you wonder what is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which the bones become weak and brittle because of the loss of mineral density. In this condition, even bending over or coughing can cause a fracture!
Known as 'Silent disease', this condition often develops without any symptoms or pain, and it is usually not discovered until the weakened bones cause painful fractures. Osteoporosis-related fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist, or spine. However, people across the globe are less aware of this silent disease and it is very important that the right information reaches the general public so that they can take up all the necessary precautions to avoid it.
In this episode of Jagran Dialogues, Subhasish Dutta, Deputy Editor, Jagran New Media, spoke to Dr. Vineesh Mathur, Director - Division of Spine, Institute Of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Orthopaedics, and discussed osteoporosis, its symptoms, and treatment.
Here's an excerpt from the interview:
Q- What is osteoporosis and how does this disease develop?
Dr. Vineesh Mathur- Osteoporosis is a very common disorder and awareness about this disorder has grown gradually in the past 2-3 decades. There was time weakening of bones was considered a sign of aging and this was considered natural and not classified as a disease. But, now after thorough consideration, this disorder is considered a disease because in people of the same age group there is a vast difference in their quality of bones. Osteoporosis is the degradation of bone and its quantity. Bones get brittle due to the loss of minerals and calcium. This disorder is linked with age, sex. When bone mass gets lower than normal then it is considered Osteoporosis. It is a silent disease and there are no symptoms of this disorder.
Q- What are causes of Osteoporosis? Are women more affected by Osteoporosis if compared to men?
Dr. Vineesh Mathur- There is a very common myth in your question that this disorder affects only women. But, no men also suffer from this disease. Almost one-third of males can be suffering from this disorder. Its causes are multiple, it is linked with lifestyle and genes. If a person does not have an active lifestyle or do weight-bearing chores then this disorder might be common in them. It is also linked with hormonal problems such as Thyroid, diabetes, and metabolic disorders. Bone mass is not a static thing, if mass on it becomes less then people might suffer from Osteoporosis. Females are more prone to suffer from this disease because of menopause which happens around the age of 50. the process of menopause in females causes dramatic hormonal changes and these changes might affect bone health too. However, males also suffer from this disorder but the process is more gradual and they might see the disorder affecting them at age of 60 or 65.