Introduction

Osteoporosis is a condition that causes thinning and weakening of normal bone. Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disease that primarily affects post-menopausal women. Osteoporosis is not arthritis, which leads to problems within joints due to cartilage wear. Osteoporosis is a threat to 44 million Americans and is currently one of the most under-diagnosed and under-treated disorders in medicine. Osteoporosis is a serious health condition, associated primarily with aging, in which bones lose mass and become brittle, breaking easily.

Fractures

A loss of bone density causes bones to become brittle, and in turn, leads to frequent fractures and other serious effects. Elderly women who suffer from severe osteoporosis experience hip, wrist, spine and other traumatic fractures from minor falls that would normally not occur in young adults. Hip fractures in elderly people can be difficult to treat and sometimes require prosthetic hip reconstruction and painful rehabilitation.

300,000 hip fractures-700,000 vertebral fractures-250,000 wrist fractures-300,000 fractures at other sites. Fractures occur mainly at the spine, the wrist, and hip, and can occur with minor falls or minimal trauma such as coughing or lifting.

Treatment

If a patient,s bone density is found to be lower than normal, she should consider treatment options that will increase bone density and strength. However, if you receive treatment early, you may be able to stop or slow the progress of bone loss. Calcitonin may be prescribed for women who are more than 5 years beyond menopause and who cannot take bisphosphonate medications, or for men who are not receiving testosterone treatment.

If you experience a fractured bone related to osteoporosis, treatment to slow your bone thinning becomes very important. Treatment for osteoporosis may include taking calcium and vitamin D supplements, engaging in weight-bearing exercise (such as walking) or weight training (such as lifting weights or using weight machines), using hormone replacement therapy (usually for women past menopause), or taking prescription medications such as calcitonin (Miacalcin), alendronate (Fosamax), or raloxifene (Evista). Treatments available to relieve your pain include: Non prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and aspirin.

Prevention

The key to avoiding severe effects from osteoporosis is prevention. These drugs are approved for the treatment or prevention of osteoporosis: Alendronate (Fosamax). This drug belongs to a class of drugs called biophosphonates and is approved for both prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

Bisphosphonates are a type of drug used for both the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Other tips for prevention: Don't smoke,Avoid drinking excess alcohol,Get regular exercise. Other medicines prescribed for prevention of osteoporosis include raloxifene (Evista), a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). Estrogen replacement remains a good treatment for prevention of osteoporosis but, at this time, is not recommended unless there are other indications for its use as well.

Conclusion

Osteoporosis is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in women as a bone mineral density 2. Osteoporosis is so common that, on average, about 1 in 2 elderly Caucasian women will have had a fracture. Osteoporosis is now a treatable and preventable condition. Osteoporosis is not just a woman's disease. The key to avoiding severe effects from osteoporosis is prevention. The best way to prevent osteoporosis is to get enough calcium in your diet.