Introduction
Osteoporosis is a systemic disease affecting all bones of the skeleton. Bone osteoporosis is accompanied by a decrease in bone density and strength, which leads to a high risk of fractures even with minimal trauma (Akkawi & Zmerly, 2018). With osteoporosis, fractures of any bone can occur, but fractures of the spine, femoral neck, and radius are the most typical. Usually, the bones of the skeleton are dense, and some of them are finely porous. On X-ray, they look white and are primarily homogeneous.
History of the Disease
At first, it was believed that osteoporosis was not a disease but changes in bones caused by age. In the 18th century, surgeon John Hunter drew attention to the fact that bones change during a person’s life – in youth, they are solid and robust, and with age, they become more fragile (Akkawi & Zmerly, 2018). Only in the 19th century did French surgeon Jacob Lobstein give these bone changes a name – osteoporosis (Akkawi & Zmerly, 2018). In the middle of the 20th century, osteoporosis was given attention as a widespread problem, scientific research was initiated, factors that increase the risk of osteoporosis were discovered, and diagnostic and treatment options expanded.
Description of Disease
Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by decreased bone density due to calcium loss. As a result, the bones become too thin and brittle, weakening the skeleton and increasing the risk of fractures, especially of the spine, forearm, hip, and shoulder joints (Pouresmaeili et al., 2018). Osteoporosis and related fractures can have severe consequences and are an essential cause of limited movement, pain, prolonged disability, loss of independence, and mortality.
Risk factors for the development of osteoporosis are divided into uncontrollable, that is, those that cannot be changed and controlled, and those that a person can change. Unmanageable ones include age over 65, female gender, early menopause — up to 45 years, taking glucocorticoids for more than three months, prolonged immobility of the limb – more than two months, and some endocrine diseases (Aspray & Hill, 2019). Controlled risk factors include an unbalanced diet, insufficient calcium and vitamin B intake with food, short motor activity, and low body weight.
Anatomy of the System(s) Involved
Bones consist of different types of bone tissue, including the hard outer shell and the porous part in the center of the long bones and vertebrae. These types of bones are in a constant process of dying and regeneration. The spine also consists of bones called vertebrae, which are cervical, thoracic, and lumbar (Clynes et al., 2020). The sacrum consists of vertebrae, and the coccyx consists of bones fusing at the spine’s posterior end.
Thus, with osteoporosis, if at least one of the bones is destroyed, all the other bones will carry an additional load and gradually collapse. Skeletal bones, ligaments, muscles, and cartilage form a person’s musculoskeletal system (Clynes et al., 2020). Significant problems with the musculoskeletal system can begin with the destruction of bones, since bones are destroyed, which affects a person’s ability to move, for example, the spine.
Effects on Other Body Systems
The central nervous system, as well as the musculoskeletal system, are included in the defeat of osteoporosis. The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord and is responsible for processing information and coordinating the activities of the human body (Aspray & Hill, 2019). If the central nervous system is affected due to osteoporosis, a person may feel numbness and tingling.
Cause of Disease
The causes of risk factors for osteoporosis include smoking, excess alcohol, lack of calcium, vitamin D deficiency, frequent falls, and low body weight. Moreover, risk factors include age over 65 years, postmenopausal women, fractures in the past, prolonged bed rest, and taking glucocorticoid hormones for more than three months (Chen et al., 2019).
Signs, Symptoms, and Diagnosis of the Disease
Signs of osteoporosis include decreased current growth by 2-3 cm from measurements taken in 20-30 years. Symptoms of osteoporosis are acute or chronic back pain, pathological bending of the spine in the thoracic region, chest pain, restriction of inspiration, a feeling of lack of air, and protrusion of the abdomen (Fuggle et al., 2019). Diagnosis is carried out employing bone densitometry, that is, measuring the density of bone tissue and determining its density.
Complications
The main complication of osteoporosis is fractures of the peripheral bones and spine, which cause temporary disability and increased mortality. Against the background of spinal fractures, compression of the spinal cord and nerve endings may occur. Because of this, it is possible to lose the sensitivity of various body parts, leading to paralysis and disability.
Treatment and Side Effects
Treatment is done through a special diet, physical exercises, and medications. A diet rich in calcium and vitamin D is helpful in the presence of already-established osteoporosis and as a preventive measure (Fuggle et al., 2019). A lot of vitamin D is found in dairy, fish, and other products. Regular exercise can reduce the likelihood of bone fractures associated with osteoporosis.
Drug treatment involves taking hormonal estrogen in women, and calcium and vitamin D are necessary to increase bone mass, in addition to estrogen replacement therapy, and to treat osteoporosis in men (Chen et al., 2019). Taking estrogen may cause diarrhea in the first week; there is no need to cancel the drug. In general, the treatment of osteoporosis has no significant side effects.
Conclusion
Many studies are currently being conducted to find new, effective therapies and medications for treatment. The primary strategy for preventing osteoporosis is to obtain sufficient amounts of calcium and other minerals necessary for building and maintaining the composition of bone tissue throughout life. The central understanding for me was that adults need to carefully monitor their health and start preventive therapy promptly to prevent the appearance of osteoporosis.
References
Akkawi, I., & Zmerly, H. (2018). Osteoporosis: Current concepts. Joints, 6(1), 122-127. Web.
Aspray, T., & Hill, T. (2019). Osteoporosis and the ageing skeleton. Biochemistry and Cell Biology of Ageing: Part II Clinical Science. Springer, 91(1), 452-476. Web.
Chen, L-R, Ko, N-Y, Chen, K-H. (2019). Medical treatment for osteoporosis: From molecular to clinical opinions. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(9), 2213. Web.
Clynes, M., Harvey, N., Curtis, E., Fuggle, N.R., Dennison, E., & Cooper, C. (2020). The epidemiology of osteoporosis. British Medical Bulletin, 133(1), 105–117. Web.
Fuggle, N.R., Curtis, E.M., Ward, K., Harvey, N., Dennison, E., & Cooper, C. (2019). Fracture prediction, imaging and screening in osteoporosis. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 15(1), 535–547. Web.
Pouresmaeili, F., Kamalidehghan, B., Kamarehei, M., & Goh, Y. M. (2018). A comprehensive overview on osteoporosis and its risk factors. Therapeutics and clinical risk management, 14(2), 2029–2049. Web.