19/08/2023
6 risk factors for osteoporosis, everyone needs to know to prevent disease
Osteoporosis, if not treated early, can easily lead to back pain, hunchback due to collapsing spine...
Osteoporosis is a non-fatal disease that threatens many people's quality of life. Most people get older, their bone density decreases and gradually thins, especially those who are small, have a family history of osteoporosis, early menopause or have had their ovaries removed.
When you have osteoporosis, it will lose the body's natural mobility, thereby making it difficult to perform daily activities. If left untreated, it can easily lead to back pain, back curvature due to a collapsed spine. The risk of hip, femur, and shinbone fractures is higher if you fall.
The 5 most recognizable signs of osteoporosis
Osteoporosis in the early stages has no special symptoms, so it is difficult to recognize. However, you should be careful in the following special cases:
Bone pain
Usually occurs in the body's burden-bearing bones (spine, lumbar, pelvis, hip bones, knees), repeated pain if it is after trauma, dull pain if spontaneous. Pain will increase with movement, walking, standing for a long time and will be relieved when lying down.
Spinal pain
Pain such as lumbar spinal stenosis or pain radiating to one or both sides of the sciatic nerve. Spinal pain is often accompanied by spasms of the muscles along the spine, causing pain and jerking when changing positions. Patients often feel more comfortable while lying down.
Spinal deformity
The spine will deform its normal curve, such as hunchback, crooked, hunched back, the height of the body will decrease by a few centimeters compared to the age at a young age (because osteoporosis causes the vertebrae to sink, collapse or break down). .
Disorders of functions
Common systemic signs are feeling cold or chilled, or cramps, sweating. Osteoporosis symptoms are often accompanied by other disorders of old age such as obesity, varicose veins of the legs, Osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis…
6 risk factors for osteoporosis
Due to age
Age is a major factor contributing to the development of osteoporosis. As we age, our skeletons start to lose more bone. Most experts recommend screening for osteoporosis starting at age 65, especially for women, but those under 65 at high risk of fracture should also begin screening for osteoporosis earlier.
Due to medication
Besides the therapeutic effect, some drugs are also considered as one of the causes of osteoporosis. For some reason, long-term use of oral and injectable corticosteroids can increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. Thyroid drugs, chemotherapy drugs, and others can also lead to developing osteoporosis.
Due to illness
Osteoporosis caused by another medical condition is called secondary osteoporosis. Medical conditions associated with osteoporosis include diabetes, autoimmune inflammatory diseases, thyroid disease, malabsorption syndromes...
Long-term use of oral and injectable corticosteroids may increase the risk of developing osteoporosis.
Because people have small skeletons
Thin and petite women have a higher risk of osteoporosis. One reason is because they start to have less bone than women with larger body weights and body frames. Similarly, men with smaller bone structures also have a higher risk of osteoporosis than larger and heavier men.
Due to heredity
Genetic predisposition to osteoporosis can be noted from family history. A person may be more susceptible to osteoporosis if your parents have it.
Lifestyle-related risk factors
There are many risk factors for osteoporosis that may be out of our control. However, some lifestyle risk factors are controllable and can be adjusted, including not getting enough vitamin D and calcium, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, drinking a lot of alcohol, etc. .
