Osteoporosis – What is it and How Does it Attack?
Osteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density is reduced. The disease may be classified as primary type 1, primary type 2, or secondary. Primary type 1 osteoporosis is generally found in females after the permanent cease of fertility. Primary type 2 osteoporosis or senile osteoporosis occurs after age 75 and is seen in both females and males at a ratio of 2:1. Finally, secondary osteoporosis may arise at any age and affects men and women equally.
Osteoporosis literally means “bones with holes”. Your bones are made up of hard, living tissue that incorporates calcium and other vital minerals that give them the strength and density they need to support weight and carry you around. Your bones become weakened when these minerals are reduced, resulting in osteoporosis and bones that is more likely to break under far less strain than normal. In severe cases, it can even be possible to fracture bones by something as trivial as sneezing.
Asian American women are at particular risk for osteoporosis due to their relatively lower bone mass and density, smaller frames, and lower intake of calcium compared to other population groups. There are no symptoms of osteoporosis. It does not show any symptoms till a bone fracture occurs. Bone fractures with uncontrollable pains are the main symptoms of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis causes usually due to the bones losing more calcium than is being deposited. As you age the deterioration worsens, or increases, the outer shell of your bones weaken and the inner part develops larger holes, the condition is more difficult to remedy, the worse it has become, there are pharmaceutical drugs available that can slow down the deterioration, and sometimes even reverse it a little. The condition can not be cured, but it can certainly be controlled, Modern medications can be very effective for many people.
Osteoporosis is sometimes thought of as a disease that only affects elderly ladies, this is not true, it can start to affect people at a very early age, and it also affects approximately 20% of men in quite a serious manner.
