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Causes, symptoms and treatment of osteoporosis, prevention

Osteoporosis is a disease of bone tissue, increased bone fragility due to a lack of calcium. For a patient with osteoporosis, even minor trauma can result in fracture. Osteoporosis usually occurs because of metabolic disorders.

For example, he tripped the man, unsuccessfully opened a heavy door or dropped on the floor a weighty book. Prevalence of osteoporosis for any situation, seemingly simple, may end very badly – broken. This disease is more prone to women, especially during hormonal failure, with menopause, men suffer from this disease much less frequently.

It is most common in women who have experienced menopause and are menopause. They included "at risk", you should be especially attentive to their health and to take account of all manifestations of the disease.

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Symptoms of osteoporosis

Symptoms of osteoporosis often do not manifest themselves, people can live for years, unaware that their body's are such processes. But as the main symptoms of osteoporosis, scientists say reducing bone tissue, may occasionally disturb aching pain in the lower back, frequent fractures.

Conventional doctors often can't determine the cause of the frequent fractures, only narrow specialists such as orthopedists or surgeons may suspect the disease, and then sent for x-rays of bones, etc., women sent to the gynecologist. For osteoporosis, the patient may decrease in size due to the reduction of the bone, to become even lower growth at 10-15 cm

Symptoms of osteoporosis include:

  • significant fatigue (indicates a General weakening of the body, deterioration of metabolism and a slower compensation of all functions);

  • cramps in the lower extremities, which occur mainly at night;

  • excess plaque on the tooth enamel;

  • periodontitis;

  • pain in the bones or lower back;
  • obvious fragility and susceptibility of the nail to delamination;
  • premature graying (quite rare);

  • hernia of the Department;

  • problems related to the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract (triggered by severe deformations of the spine, which literally puts pressure on the internal organs of the female. Including on the stomach);

  • the beginning of diabetes (osteoporosis is an endocrine disorder, so it is necessary to consult the specialist);

  • Allergy;

  • other diseases associated with dysfunction of the metabolism and salt metabolism.
  • the too frequent beating of the heart.

It is impossible not to pay attention to such serious symptoms as:

  • fractures bone tissue;
  • a feeling of heaviness in the area between the shoulder blades;
  • General muscle weakness;
  • change of growth less;
  • curvature of the spine.

They, in turn, are evidence that the disease is at a later stage. Often osteoporosis at this stage is irreversible, will only be possible to halt its progression or slow down all of its effects on the body.


Causes of osteoporosis

The cause of osteoporosis can be a lengthy experience of Smoking, alcohol abuse, digestive problems, failures in the exchange of substances or the disease is inherited. In the elderly osteoporosis often occurs due to poor calcium absorption, but also useful substances in the intestine.

But the most common cause of osteoporosis is usually a hormonal imbalance. Osteoporosis mostly occurs in women and is associated with menopause. It is not the lack of calcium in the body, and in violation of building cells of the bone tissue. In our body there are two types of cells: construction and destruction. At menopause, disrupted construction of the cells. Have to go to the gynecologist or to seek remedies that will restore the body during menopause.

If you a lot of time taking drugs synthetic corticosteroids, your body begins to suffer. The lack of hormones because of these drugs can lead to such disease as osteoporosis.

With age, all people have a decreasethe degree of bone density, greatly reduced their strength and tone. These are understandable changes that occur in the body, as a result of aging. But certain categories of people, such changes are formed much earlier in time and occur more rapidly. A significant number of causes of this disease.

There are reasons that you cannot change:

  • belonging to the female sex;
  • Caucasoid or Mongoloid race (proven in African-Americans the risk of developing osteoporosis is almost zero. This is probably due to the fact that they are often long in the sun, which strengthens the bone structure);
  • weakened or thinned bone of the skeleton;
  • age more than 65 years of age (this age starts natural loss of calcium by the human body. To fill it only partially);
  • a genetic factor (the degree of proximity of kinship has no particular significance).

There are also risk factors that may impact:

  • unsaturated in calcium and vitamin D foods (should be consumed as much calcium and vitamin belonging to this group);
  • the application of certain medicinal drugs such as corticosteroids and anticonvulsants (these should be minimized if possible. If this is not possible, immediately after their admission are advised to see a chiropractor in the future to remember about the risk of the formation of the disease);
  • frequent use of hormonal drugs;
  • gipodinamiya way of life (proven that the more sedentary life led by a woman, the less she is exposed to the risk of developing osteoporosis);
  • any form of Smoking;
  • excessive alcohol consumption (more than three groups per day with different strength);
  • dysfunction of the digestive system, the endocrine and pancreatic glands;
  • hormonal changes that occur throughout menopause;
  • disruption of the functioning of the ovaries or removing them (leads to hormonal imbalance or early menopause. This, in turn, can be a catalyst for the development of osteoporosis);
  • problems in the adrenal glands (in itself is not the cause of the formation of the disease, but the medication may trigger it);
  • all other diseases of the glands of internalsecretion (they often are directly related to hormonal imbalance).

Thus, the appearance of osteoporosis would be expected, if you know all the reasons, which will impact on the formation of the presented disease.

The senile type of osteoporosis occurs due to calcium deficiency associated with age and loss of balance between forcing the destruction of bone tissue and speed the formation of new bone tissue type. "Senile"implies that the state is formed at an older age, most often in people of 70 years or more. This disease twice as often formed in women than in men. In women it is almost always combined with postmenopausal stage.

It should be particularly noted that less than 5% of cases the condition is caused by some other disease or by taking certain medicines. This form of osteoporosis known as secondary. It can be formed under conditions that have been identified above. For example, problems with the kidneys or endocrine gland. Over-active the consumption of alcohol and the addiction to Smoking can only exacerbate the disease presents.

There is also idiopathic"youth" osteoporosis. This is a rare form of osteoporosis, which currently remains unknown. It is formed in infants, children and young adults who have quite normal levels of hormones and vitamins in the blood. Besides, they have not observed any clear reasons for the decrease in density of bone tissue.

The degree of osteoporosis

Define the following degrees of severity of osteoporosis as:

  • primary degree, which is revealed in the decrease in bone density. X-ray diagnosis is the identification of significant transparency x-ray shadows and striations silhouettes of the vertebrae. This degree of illness is determined exclusively in the conduct of medical research;
  • osteoporosis secondary degree, or moderate — apparent decrease in bone density. The vertebral bodies acquire specific biconcave shape, a wedge-shaped deformation of one of the vertebrae. This degree of the disease is manifested in a strong painful sensations;
  • pronounced osteoporosis, or tertiary degree — identifying the sharp transparency of the vertebrae with radiological examination. Otherwise, it is called glazing, and the presence of deformation of the wedge typeat the same time in several vertebrae. At this stage osteoporosis are already evident.

Osteoporosis of the hip

Known this form of this disease, such as osteoporosis of the hip. In its Genesis, it is no different from the rest of the bones osteoporosis, in addition to localization in the same region. The most vulnerable point when this manifestation of the disease is the neck of the femur. The fracture shows the areas of the older people quite often ends with a fatal outcome, or the inability to move in the usual normal mode.

The vast majority of exclusively hip replacement gives the opportunity to fully restore the functioning of the hip joint type.

Osteoporosis presents type can have the following three types of localization:

  • local - in this case, the reduction in density of bone tissue and tops of the femur at the initial stage of such diseases, as a specific necrosis of the tops of the femur and Perthes disease;

  • regional - it is formed exclusively by osteoarthritis of the hip joint;

  • common – is developed in connection with the dysfunction of blood circulation in the lower extremities.

Osteoporosis of the hip joint can be formed as a result of systemic osteoporosis, which is much more typical for this disease.

When presented form of the disease, bone tissue loss of the ability to maintain an optimal load of a physiological nature. A total lesion of the hip and knee joints in this case was triggered by the fact that mostly it is on them "lies" the most significant load in the process of moving.

Osteoporosis of the hip joint begins to develop a list of reasons:

  • continuous loss of motor function of the lower extremities during long-term treatment of fractures, dislocations and other injuries. It causes atrophy of motor functions, which is almost impossible to bring to a normal state;
  • significant load on one limb in the case that has been deleted or disrupted second. This variant also affects the functioning of certain limbs, causing her to lose muscle memory.

  • complication blood circulation under certain specific conditions. We are talking about burns,frostbite, phlegmon (inflammatory or purulent decomposition of tissues) and others that also catalyze the atrophy of muscles and tissues;

  • a special form of osteoporosis of the hip joints in women should be regarded as transient osteoporosis. It's formed by women in the later stages of pregnancy and in men aged 30 to 40 years.

To detect this form of disease is possible on the x-ray or polerowanie (in some cases). Very important is the timely detection, because it will give the opportunity to start adequate treatment.

Regardless of the reasons for the manifestations of the disease, the mandatory components of the treatment process should be considered primarily physical therapy. It gives an opportunity to give "form" metabolic processes in the bone tissue, to adjust the degree of mobility of joints and muscle activity. This recovery takes a very long time, and the older a person is, the more complications it goes.

Very important verified strict feeding schedule and frequent presence on passive and active sun. The second gives you the opportunity to make the production of vitamin D faster, and, accordingly, to strengthen the bone tissue. Allowed and medication, but solely for the purpose of specialist. It can be as a medicine containing calcium and vitamin D3 (or other metabolites), and bisphosphonates. It is undesirable to take any hormonal drugs to women who have reached the age of 70 years. However, sometimes this is the only possibility to bring the structure of bone tissues back to normal.


Diagnosis of osteoporosis

Developed quite a number of methods, which are diagnostic of osteoporosis. Radiography enables detection of the depletion of bone tissue only when their losses reached more than 30%. Therefore, this method makes sense to resort exclusively in the secondary extent of the disease.

More modern methods, which almost always is performed for osteoporosis is the analysis of the height of the spine and counting their relationships. The best way to be considered densitometry. It gives the opportunity to accurately indicate the degree of density of the bone tissue, the ratio of calcium in the human body, as well as the numbermuscle and fat deposits.

This method should be considered the most secure because only it does not use the so-called isotopic methods of exposure that are uniquely harmful to humans. It is based on determining the density of the skeleton and identify mineral and other active components of bone tissue. Its advantage is the speed of obtaining results and perfect and painless.

Also not to be underestimated standard blood test and urine that give the opportunity to assess what state is calcium and phosphorus metabolism.

This help information such as:

  1. A General analysis of calcium – one of the fundamental specific components of the bone tissue, the most important trace mineral that takes part in the creation of the skeleton, the functioning of the heart muscle, nervous and muscular activity, and blood coagulation and other processes. Variation shape and phase of osteoporosis are manifested in different shifts in the degree of concentration of calcium. Optimal levels of calcium: are: from 2.2 to 2.65 mmol per liter.

  2. Inorganic phosphorus, component minerals of bone tissue that exists in the human body in the form of salts (calcium phosphate, magnesium) and takes part in the process of formation of bone tissue and energy metabolism of the cell type. 85% of phosphorus is in the bones. Modifications in terms of the ratio of phosphorus in the blood can be observed in various forms changes of bone tissue, it is not only about osteoporosis. Optimum levels of phosphorus should be considered as from 0.85 to 1.45 micromol per liter.

  3. The substance is the parathyroid hormone that is produced by the parathyroid glands and is responsible for the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus of the type in the body. Identification of the concentration of parathyroid hormone is able to give the most important information base for identification of different forms of osteoporosis. Optimal parathyroid hormone are from 9.5 to 75,0 PG per ml. It is from 0.7 to 5.6 pmol per liter.

  4. Deoxypyridinoline, which is denoted as DPID, is an indication of the degree of destruction of bone tissue. It can be detected in the urine. The expression of urine increases with postmenopausal osteoporosis, osteomalacia, thyrotoxicosis, primary hyperparathyroidism.

    Optimal performance, DPID vary depending on gender:

    • for males it is from 2.3 to 5.4 nmol;

    • for women from 3.0 to 7.4 nmol.

  5. Osteocalcin -the main specific protein of bone tissue, which is actively involved in the process of bone repair and generation of new tissue of similar type. Excessively high levels of the osteocalcin present in the initial stages of hyperparathyroidism, those who are sick with hyperthyroidism and acromegaly. Osteoporosis postmenopausal type it is within the optimum or enhanced. If osteomalacia and kidney osteodistrofia the ratio of osteocalcin decreases. Presents a survey of the need for detection of osteoporosis and monitoring of treatment, with increasing ratio of calcium in human blood.

    Optimal osteocalcin are as follows:

    • men 12.0 to 52.1 ng / ml;
    • women in the eligibility period - from 6.5 to 42.3 ng / ml;
    • women in postmenopausal period, from 5.4 to 59,1 ng per ml.

Thus, in the process of diagnosing osteoporosis in women, it is important to pay attention to any fluctuations in the data and carry out all possible research. This will provide an opportunity to deliver accurate, timely diagnosis and, as a consequence, to obtain the best treatment that will help in the shortest possible time.


How to treat osteoporosis?

Treated osteoporosis medication, people with impaired endocrine system prescribe drugs that will help restore the hormonal background. Older people prescribed food supplements rich in calcium and vitamin D. Women in menopause prescribe hormone replacement therapy and bisphosphonates.

Patients can sometimes appoint medical gymnastics, massage, all this in small doses – because of the fragility of the bones. Can prescribe wearing a special support corset.

Fully treated from osteoporosis is not possible, however, it is possible to learn to live with it and stop further progression of the disease. For this, there is a need for walking, Jogging, dancing. All of this is able to provide bone tissues they need a healthy "stress"and make them stronger. These classes will provide an opportunity to strengthen the muscles and modify coordination and balance.

Another popular method for the treatment of osteoporosis, which is recommended for all women, should be considered"healthy" diet with individually chosen ratio of calcium and vitamin D. it is best to consult with a balanced diet, which is based onthe tenets of the food pyramid.

Particularly necessary in this case to ensure that the patient receives the necessary number of not only calcium but also vitamin D. This can occur both in the process of eating, and the use of food additives.

Treatment bisphosphonates

One of the most modern methods of treatment of the disease in women are bisphosphonates. They represent the most stable analogues of pyrophosphates, which are formed naturally. They operate on the female body thus: are embedded in the structure of bone tissue stored in it for a long period of time and slow down bone the reservation by reducing the activity of osteoclasts.

At the moment, bisphosphonates should be considered as a recognized method of prevention and treatment of osteoporosis not only in women but also in men.

Studies that were carried out successfully on many thousands of patients, have demonstrated that bisphosphonates:

  • absolutely no threat;
  • well-tolerated by the human body;
  • have a low number of side effects;
  • inhibit bone the reservation;
  • a positive effect on the increase of mineral bone density (BMD);
  • reduce the likelihood of fractures.

Today in active practice, only a certain amount of bisphosphonates, namely alendronate, risendronate, ibandronate, zoledronicaa acid. They are characterized by a variety of means and ways of implementation in the body.

The most famous and well-studied bisphosphonate should be considered alendronat. Its effectiveness proven in numerous surveys those who have osteoporosis. The study was carried out in the presence of fractures in the vertebrae.

Also, this drug is effective in the prevention of osteoporosis in women in postmenopausal period with osteopenia. The average alendronate reduces the probability of formation of fractures of different localization by 50% and the risk of specific fractures in the vertebrae by 90%.

This drug is prescribed at a dosage of 70 mg, i.e. one tablet, once a week. Osteoporosis postmenopausal type is also used risendronate in a dosage of 30 mg per week.

The Drug "Miacalcin"

In addition to the previously presented methods the primary lines of treatment of osteoporosis in some cases can be used calcitonin salmon. This tool is a specific analogue of the hormone of the endocrine gland is calcitonin, whichtakes an active part in the restoration of calcium homeostasis.

Feature of medicines "Miacalcin", which contains calcitonin salmon, is the fact that it significantly reduces the risk of fractures with the exception of the obvious dynamics of the disease. It became possible due to its positive impact on the quality of bone tissue (micro and macroarchitecture).

The probability of forming new fractures in the spine in the treatment of "Miacalcic"reduced by 36%. When this drug is characterized by another parameter, which is actively used in active medical practice:"Miacalcin" produces obvious analgesic effect with of those feelings that are provoked by fractures.

Hormone replacement therapy

It should be noted that hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It boasts a high degree of effectiveness in women in postmenopausal period. There is a serious side effect of therapy is presented, which is venous thrombosis. In this connection, in the process of appointing this treatment, a woman should be required to inform about possible complications.

But, despite this, HRT remains the fundamental preventive measure of the number of females with menopause before 45 years of age. In addition, it is a tool that really effectively removes all of the vegetative symptoms clinical types, which are peculiar to the menopause.

In each case, the problem is the indication of female HRT needs a thorough gynecological and breast examination and monitoring.

At constant painful sensations in the lumbar region can be rather effective certain exercises that strengthen the back muscles. Lifting weights and fall can only worsen the symptoms. It is recommended that a constant load in the physical plane.

Prevention of osteoporosis

To prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis is many times easier than to cure it. Preventive measures are to maintain or increase the degree of density of bone tissue due to the application of the required ratio of calcium. There is a need in the implementation of physical loads of character with weights and, for certain categories, receiving active drugs.

At increasing bone densitypositive effect special exercises with pressure on the bone, for example, walking and running flights of stairs. The same exercises that are not associated with such load - swimming, have no impact on the degree of bone density. It is therefore very important to consult with a specialist and in any case not to self-treatment. It can be fraught with even greater complications of osteoporosis in women.


Which doctor to consult for osteoporosis?

For the purpose of examination for the presence of osteoporosis it is advisable to contact professionals such as endocrinologist, rheumatologist, gynecologist and traumatologist. This impressive number of doctors is necessary because the female body is a single entity and osteoporosis can be caused by various failures in the body.

This means that you will need to treat not only presents illness, but that he was provoked. To detect more underlying problems and must be investigated in a considerable number of specialists. Examined each of the doctors after the onset of the age of 40 needs at least once a year. This approach will provide an opportunity to prevent the onset of disease and will help alleviate his symptoms, in particular, to prevent fractures.

You first need to pass examinations by an endocrinologist and gynecologist that will indicate the need for delivery of analyzes on hormones group and, if required, send you to a rheumatologist or an orthopedist. These specialists determine the appropriate treatment, and will help to solve all appeared problems with health.


obolenko, Valentina, endocrinologist