Osteoporosis

Bone & Joint Health

Osteoporosis Treatment in Chennai - Symptoms and Risk Factors

Bones like all the other living organs and tissues, are also living tissue that go through the same rejuvenation cycle as the cells in our body. Bone is composed of the mineral or hydroxyapatite, organic or collagen type 1, water, non-collagenous proteins and other components.

Osteoporosis Treatment in Chennai

During the bone rejuvenation process, when the production of new bone material is not in synchronization with the removal of the old bone, this causes the bone to weaken. This then causes the bones to become very brittle, so that coughing, falls, or even slight stress, such as bending over can cause a fracture. A patient with such fragile bones is diagnosed to have Osteoporosis. Fractures related to osteoporosis, ordinarily occurs either in the wrist, the hip or along the spine. It affects both men and women alike, but is predominantly seen to occur in especially older Asian and Caucasian women. Women past their menopause are in the high risk category to be affected by Osteoporosis.

In the early stages of Osteoporosis, no symptoms reveal themselves until the bones have been weakened and you will then see signs such as:

  • A bone fracturing just like that without much force being applied
  • Occurrence of back pain due to a collapsed vertebrae or caused by a fracture
  • Stooping posture
  • Loss in height over a period of time

The aging generation does unavoidably face certain risks that are not within their control; risks such as:

  • Human race: People of white and Asian descent are at a greater risk than people from other countries
  • The baby boomer generation is set to have a greater life expectancy than the previous generation. Consequently, the older they get, the risk of osteoporosis is greater
  • Women are much more susceptible to osteoporosis, post menopause
  • Genetically having a parent or sibling with a history of osteoporosis, subjects the aging person to be at risk, especially more so if one of their parents had had a hip fracture
  • People with a smaller build or frame size are determined, to be at a higher risk on the premise that they may have a lesser bone mass to draw from as they age
  • The cause of osteoporosis is also attributed to the balance in hormones in the body. Too little or too much puts the person at risk for osteoporosis. When the estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels in the body are reduced, either due to menopause or due to cancer treatments, then this puts such patients at a risk. Hyperthyroidism can cause loss of bone mass. This can happen either due to an overactive thyroid or because of hypothyroidism medications, thus putting the patient at risk for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis has also been identified in patients with overactive adrenal and parathyroid glandular activity

The causes stated above are but a few, as there are other factors such as dietary factors, consumption of alcohol, gastrointestinal surgery, low calcium, use of tobacco, lifestyle choices, gastric reflux and much more that can cause osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis Treatment

The density of the bone is measured using a painlessly scanning test. Usually, specific bones susceptible to osteoporosis like hip, wrist, and spine are checked. If the bones are weak and there is a risk of breaking them in the next 10 years, low bone density treatment is recommended. If the risk isn’t high enough to recommend weak bone treatments, the patients are prescribed medications and are instructed to focus on modifying factors related to bone loss and falls.

Osteoporosis Medication

For patients with a high risk of fracture antiresorptive therapies for osteoporosis. These medications help prevent bone loss and increase bone density. Bisphosphonates like Alendronate, Ibandronate and such are the osteoporosis medications that are most recommended for the treatment of bones. There might be side effects like nausea, abdominal pain, and heartburn due to these drugs for osteoporosis. Patients who suffer from extreme stomach upset due to oral medicines are recommended injections for osteoporosis. With osteoporosis injection treatment, stomach upset in the patient is reduced, but it might cause other side effects like fever, muscle aches, and headaches.

Denosumab is considered to produce similar or even better results for osteoporosis treatment. Denosumab has rare complications, but once you take the medication, you might have to do so indefinitely since cases of spinal column fractures have been noted in people who stopped using the drug.

Osteoporosis is common among women who are past their menopause, and in this case, postmenopausal osteoporosis treatment is recommended. Estrogen therapy is started for women past the menopausal phase, but this can increase the risk of breast cancer and blood clots. In women, Raloxifene is used to mimic the beneficial effects of estrogen but reduce the risk of breast cancer. For men, testosterone replacement therapy is recommended along with osteoporosis medications for the treatment.

For severe cases of osteoporosis, powerful medicines for strong bones like Teriparatide and Abaloparatide are recommended.

Osteoporosis Management

Management of osteoporosis involves medications along with regular exercise, vitamin and mineral supplements. Starting with a diet rich in calcium to adding dietary supplements, the right medical management of osteoporosis would help you lead a healthy life.