With the accelerating progress of global population aging, osteoporosis has become an important health problem for human beings. Together with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis is listed as the "three killers" of middle-aged and elderly people. The development of osteoporosis is long-term and hidden, hence it is also known as the 'silent killer of health'. Next, we will learn about osteoporosis and guide us to be alert to this "silent" disease.
1、 What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a systemic metabolic bone disease characterized by a decrease in bone mass and destruction of bone microstructure, leading to a decrease in bone strength, an increase in bone fragility, and an increased risk of fractures.
2、 What are the clinical manifestations of osteoporosis?
1. Pain
Patients with osteoporosis may experience lower back pain or systemic bone pain. Often manifested as unexplained lower back pain, pain occurs after bending over, turning over, sitting up, and walking for a long time, and the pain worsens at night.
2. Spinal deformation
When osteoporosis occurs in the body, the vertebral bodies are prone to deformation, causing the spine to tilt forward and form a hunchback. Patients with severe osteoporosis often experience compression and deformation of multiple thoracolumbar vertebrae due to vertebral compression fractures, resulting in reduced height.
Multiple thoracic compression fractures can lead to thoracic deformities and even affect cardiovascular and pulmonary function, resulting in symptoms such as difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness; Severe lumbar compression fractures may lead to abnormal abdominal organ function, causing symptoms such as decreased appetite, abdominal pain, constipation, and bloating.
3. Fractures
Fractures caused by osteoporosis belong to fragility fractures and are the most serious complication of osteoporosis. Refers to fractures that occur due to minor external forces in daily life.
The common locations of fractures are the spine, hip, distal forearm, and proximal humerus; Fractures can also occur in other parts. After a brittle fracture occurs, the risk of further fractures significantly increases.
3、 How to prevent osteoporosis
1. Maintain healthy lifestyle habits
Do not smoke or drink excessively, as smoking can increase bone resorption and increase the risk of osteoporosis and fractures; Excessive alcohol consumption can accelerate the loss of bone mass. Persist in engaging in appropriate outdoor activities and getting plenty of sunlight every day.
2. Eat a reasonable diet and supplement calcium
Eat more calcium rich foods, such as shrimp skin, seaweed, fungus, sesame seeds, walnut kernels, etc. Foods rich in protein, such as milk, eggs, fish, beans, and soy products. When it is not possible to obtain sufficient calcium from food, it is necessary to choose calcium supplements under the guidance of a doctor.
3. Moderate exercise
Regular and appropriate exercise can improve bone density and quality, while increasing muscle strength and balance, and can actually reduce the risk of falls and fractures. The 2020 edition of the Expert Consensus on Nutrition and Exercise Management for Patients with Primary Osteoporosis summarizes the appropriate exercise methods for osteoporosis patients to help them achieve healthy bones.
4. Regularly inspect and actively prevent falls, collisions, and tripping. Strengthen measures to prevent falls, collisions, and tripping; Try to avoid bending over to lift heavy objects, holding children, and other actions. It is recommended that women over 45 years old and men over 50 years old undergo an annual bone density examination.
4、 Don't believe these rumors about osteoporosis
People often believe that osteoporosis is an inevitable result of aging, so it is not taken seriously and there are many rumors.
Misconception 1: Osteoporosis is not a major problem.
The harm of osteoporosis is not only about hunchback, height reduction, back pain, leg cramps, etc. It can also lead to chest deformities, chest tightness, shortness of breath, increased bone fragility, and easy fracture... The most serious fracture occurs in the hip, which can cause long-term bed rest, disability, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, bedsores and other complications, bringing heavy economic burden to patients and seriously affecting their quality of life and survival.
2. Misconception 2: Osteoporosis is a geriatric disease that is not related to young people.
People usually consider osteoporosis as a geriatric disease, as if it is not related to young people. In fact, osteoporosis is not exclusive to the elderly. Some middle-aged and young people in their thirties and forties, especially thin young women, may also suffer from this disease, which is closely related to unhealthy lifestyles.
Many young white-collar workers living in cities today lack outdoor exercise, have insufficient sunlight exposure, are picky eaters or excessively dieting, have insufficient intake of calcium and vitamin D, and enjoy smoking, drinking, and coffee. These unhealthy lifestyles may lead to osteoporosis at a young age.
3. Misconception 3: Treating osteoporosis equals supplementing calcium.
Calcium is the main component of bones, but the occurrence of osteoporosis is not always due to calcium deficiency. It is mainly caused by an imbalance in bone metabolism and a rate of bone loss exceeding the rate of bone formation.
Therefore, relying solely on calcium supplementation to treat osteoporosis is often not enough. The key is to solve the problem of imbalanced bone metabolism - to prevent bone loss and promote bone formation. Calcium supplementation must be combined with anti osteoporosis drugs to effectively treat osteoporosis.
The currently recognized treatment plan for osteoporosis is based on calcium supplements and active vitamin D, plus at least one anti osteoporosis drug.
Large scale clinical studies abroad have shown that even if calcium supplements and vitamin D are taken regularly, if drugs that inhibit or promote bone formation are not taken in a standardized manner, they are still ineffective in preventing fractures.
In other words, although supplementing calcium supplements and active vitamin D can help delay bone loss, they cannot replace anti osteoporosis drugs.
Finally, it should be pointed out that osteoporosis has a high disability rate, a long treatment cycle, and high treatment costs, which impose a heavy burden on patients' families and society. It must be emphasized that osteoporotic fractures are preventable and treatable, and early prevention can avoid osteoporosis and fractures.