1.What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a chronic disease that, like hypertension and diabetes, is mostly seen in the elderly. It is a systemic bone disease caused by abnormal bone metabolism in the body due to various reasons (including old age, diseases, drugs and other factors), resulting in a decrease in bone mass and abnormal changes in the microstructure of bones throughout the body.
2.Why are middle-aged and elderly people prone to osteoporosis?
The causes of osteoporosis in middle-aged and elderly people are very complicated, and are closely related to the following factors.
(1)The decrease of sex hormone secretion in middle and old people is one of the important causes of osteoporosis, and this problem exists in both men and women; the decrease of estrogen level in women after menopause makes the increase of bone resorption more obvious, so women are more prone to osteoporosis than men.
(2) With the age of the person, the body regulation of calcium metabolism of hormone secretion disorder can lead to bone metabolism disorder, bone resorption increased.
(3) Due to the decline of digestive function, the elderly often have nutritional absorption disorders, resulting in insufficient intake of protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins and trace elements, which affects bone metabolism.
(4) As we age, less outdoor exercise and less exposure to sunlight lead to vitamin D deficiency, which is also an important reason why the elderly are prone to osteoporosis.
3.How to detect osteoporosis?
The occurrence of osteoporosis is often unnoticed, and sometimes it is only discovered when a serious fracture is seen. When there is unexplained bone pain around the body, short height, hunchback and easy fracture, it is necessary to consider whether there is osteoporosis, and you should go to the hospital for osteoporosis-related tests such as bone metabolism-related laboratory tests and auxiliary tests, including ultrasound bone density, dual-energy X-ray bone density and X-ray radiographs, etc.
4.How to self-test if you are prone to osteoporosis?
The following 10 questions can self-test whether you are prone to osteoporosis.
(1) Have your parents ever had a fracture from a minor bump or fall?
(2) Have you ever hurt your bones from a minor bump or fall?
(3) Do you regularly take hormonal drugs such as cortisone and prednisone for more than 3 months in a row?
(4) Have you lost 3 cm in height?
(5) Do you often drink alcohol excessively (above the safe limit)?
(6) Do you smoke more than 20 cigarettes per day?
(7) Do you often suffer from dysentery or diarrhea (caused by celiac disease or enteritis)?
(8) Answer for woman: Did you become menopausal before the age of 45?
(9) Woman’s answer: Have you ever had no menstruation for more than 12 consecutive months (except during pregnancy).
(10) Men answered: Do you suffer from erectile dysfunction or lack of sexual desire?
If the test subject answers “yes” to any of the questions, he or she is at risk for osteoporosis, but this does not prove osteoporosis, and further tests are needed to prove it.