Osteoporosis is an incredibly common medical ailment that both men and women around the world experience as their bones begin to deteriorate. With that being said, it is of the utmost importance for individuals who are suffering from this illness to seek medical assistance to ensure that they can stop the bone deterioration before it prevents them from being mobile. Below is some of the most important information pertaining to osteoporosis including what the disease is and how important preventative measures are.
The Disease
Osteoporosis is known as a disease that affects your bones and it occurs when a bone loses the majority of its density and it deteriorates. This could result in an individual having an incredibly small amount of bone forcing them to become weak and break from even the slightest bump. There have also been incidents reported of individuals with osteoporosis who have broken bones from simply sneezing.
The term “osteoporosis” is derived from the meaning “porous bone”. If you have the opportunity to look at a healthy bone versus under a microscope you will be able to see that certain aspects of the bone are arranged in a honeycomb pattern. Whereas for individuals who have osteoporosis, the honeycomb holes are extremely larger, meaning that the majority of the density of the bones has been lost.
How Common is Osteoporosis?
As previously mentioned, this particular disease is incredibly common, mostly in older women and men. There are approximately 54 million people in the United States who are currently suffering from osteoporosis and the damages associated from having a low bone mass. According to studies, approximately 1 in 4 men who are 50 years or older will experience a bone break from osteoporosis and 1 in 2 women will.
How Serious is Osteoporosis?
The first thing to consider when you are determining whether osteoporosis is dangerous or not is the importance of your bones. Your bones build the entire structure of your body and provide you with the strength and resilient structure to withstand pressure, falls, and even minor accidents. If you take away the majority of the protective qualities of bone, you are essentially left with a brittle frame that is extremely susceptible to damage. With that being said, osteoporosis can be incredibly dangerous in elderly people, especially if they are living on their own. Generally patients will experience a high likelihood of having breaks in their spine, wrist, and their hips.
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