What is Osteoporosis?

07/05/2022

Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones. It causes you to lose bone mass. Osteoporosis occurs most often in older adults.

Women are more likely to have it than men. This is due to several factors. Women have less bone mass than men to begin with. Women also tend to live longer and absorb less calcium. In women, the rate of bone loss speeds up after menopause, when estrogen levels decrease. Since the ovaries make estrogen, faster bone loss may occur if both ovaries are removed by surgery.

Questions to ask your doctor:

• Do I need a bone density test? When and how often should I get one?
• How do I know if I’m at risk for osteoporosis?
• How much calcium and vitamin D do I need?
• What changes can I make to prevent or manage osteoporosis?
• If I have osteoporosis, is it safe for me to exercise? What kind of exercise should I do?
• Will I need to take medicines to prevent bone loss? Will these medicines interact with other medicines I take?

Source: familydoctor.org