Osteoporosis is an infection or rather a disease that affects the bones, thus weakening them to such an extent that they become very feeble and susceptible to breakages or fractures caused by minor injuries (Becker, 2007: 24).
According to a report released by the association of orthopedics in 2005, Osteoporosis is a condition that affects bones thus making them so porous and weak that they are likely to break as a result of very minor injuries (Ahmadpoor, Reisi, Makhdoomi, Ghafari, Sepehrvand & Rahimi, 2009:2025). For instance, a person suffering from osteoporosis is likely to suffer a bone fracture as a result of slight fall, picking up a heavy load, and even in very serious cases (of osteoporosis) fracturing a bone from normal actions such as sneezing. Orthopedics often refers to Osteoporosis as an advanced case of Osteopenia; the latter of which is a condition where an individual has a lower bone mass than normal.
If not treated well in advance, Osteopenia may develop to Osteoporosis. Medical tacticians therefore recommend that this condition be arrested at this stage since the condition can also respond to osteoporosis medication depending on the affected risk of Osteoporosis and bone breakages. Also, it has been proven that this situation be corrected through healthy living, exercising and eating a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D (Becker, 2007: 21)
The Risk Factor
According to a research carried out by the national institute of arthritis, musculoskeletal and skin diseases (August 2009), Osteoporosis affects the bone thus making them weak and highly vulnerable to breakages or rather fracture (Becker, 2007:26). The latter pointed out that osteoporosis can virtually affect any one. However, they brought to the attention (of the people) that the risk of contracting osteoporosis varies with individuals; natural factors, other personal characteristics as well as the general lifestyle of individual. First, women are at a higher risk of suffering from osteoporosis than their male counterparts all other factors kept constant. Although, women are the one who are mainly affected by osteoporosis, practical cases have revealed that men can also be affected. However, the risk of contracting the disease is much higher in women than in men. In fact, women are four times more likely to be affected by osteoporosis than men (Ahmadpoor et al., 2009:2022).
According to the facts presented in this report for instance, 50% of women over the age of fifty years and 25% of men of the same age are at a greater risk of breaking a bone as a result of osteoporosis. Becker (2007: 24) points out that the risk of developing osteoporosis increases as one gets old, becoming thin or small in body size, or having Osteopenia; a condition that refers to an individual having less than normal the body bones mass. In addition, the latter points out that the condition can be inherited or it can be genetically passed on. In such a case, an individual from a family with a predominant history of the condition is at a greater risk of developing the condition than others.
Furthermore, an individual’s race or gender can increase his or her risk of developing osteoporosis. For example, research shows that being an Asian or rather a white woman increases the risk factor of developing osteoporosis whereas the black and Hispanic counterparts are at a considerably lower risk of contracting osteoporosis (Ahmadpoor et al., 2009:2022). Other osteoporosis risk factors includes the sex hormones such as low levels of estrogen due to missing of menstruation period or menopause in older women, low levels of testosterone hormone in men, eating disorder or what is professionally referred to as anorexia nervosa, poor diet such as low physical intake of calcium and vitamin D and general lack of exercises (Becker, 2007: 24).
Lifestyle and Epidemiology of Osteoporosis
An individual’s lifestyle can also increase his or her risk of developing osteoporosis. Smoking or excessive consumption of alcohol are two unhealthy life habits which medical research have revealed to contribute greatly to the development of this condition. In addition, individuals who never take any exercise develop weak bones which may lead to osteoporosis. It is important to note therefore that, doing exercises such as weight lifting, jogging, taking a hike climbing stairs, cycling among other forms of exercises make ones bones stronger thus significantly reducing the risk of the latter suffering from osteoporosis.
Clinical Manifestation of Osteoporosis
In circumstances where this condition is not adequately treated or rather diagnosed well in advance and measures taken to contain it, it makes the bone weaker and weaker without the affected noticing or feeling any pain until the bone breaks. The bone breakages as a result of osteoporosis are generally referred to as fractures. Ideally, osteoporosis is typical to or it mainly affects the hip bones, the spine and the wrist all of which comes with dire consequences on the part of the affected (Becker, 2007:27). However, current researches (as well as past practical cases) have shown that even the other bodily bone have a chance of being affected by osteoporosis.
Medical practitioners especially the orthopedics pays more attention to osteoporosis effects on the hips and spine bone since the two bones have the greatest risk of getting affected. More importantly, the consequences of these effects are more intense in comparison with its effects on other bones. Take for instance a case of an individual who has fractured his or her hip bone as a result of this condition. Such an individual must require being hospitalized, intensive care and perhaps a major surgery to correct the fracture. In addition, it is likely to incapacitate the individual, impair his or her walking ability, and make him or her require assistance to walk.
Cases have been reported of such condition leaving the affected on the wheel chair. A spinal or vertebral fracture on the other hand can come with fatal consequences. While it can at times lead to loss of height, severe back pains and permanent deformity on the part of affected, it can also cause paralyses or death especially if the fracture injures the central nervous system (Ahmadpoor et al., 2009:2027).
The Treatment and Pathophysiology of Osteoporosis
Over the years, osteoporosis has been and still is very disheartening public health concern; which has caused medical practitioner’s sleepless nights in trying to come up with the best treatment and prevention of the condition. Over the last one decade however, relentless effort by researchers on osteoporosis have yielded massive advances towards attaining a solution to prevention, epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment of the disease.
To date, more discoveries on the solutions to medical quagmire continue to be made at an unbelievable and unmatched rate of success. For instance, recent innovations on the issue have since seen Clinical assessments shift from the era when decisions were being made based on bone densitometry to the utilization of algorithms of complete bones breakages (Simmons, Zeitler & Steelman, 2007: 112).
As a result, the biochemical markers of bones turnover have been factored in and are now widely used. Despite the fact that Bisphosphonates remains the major model of therapy for osteoporosis patients, much improved perceptive of the most favorable amount of alterations containment, reduction of the time of the therapy, among others are of particular importance in the treatment of osteoporosis. In addition, diversified diagnostic and curative approaches including use of biological agents have become widespread in the treatment of this condition (Becker, 2007: 24).
The fact is that osteoporosis is a complex skeletal disease and which to a greater extent compromises the strength of bones thus increasing the risk of their fracture. According to Simmons, Zeitler & Steelman (2007:105), despite the fact that recent researches on bone biology and immunology have to a greater extent widened the professional’s knowledge in pathogenesis and osteoporosis, the suffering on the part of individuals already with the condition remains rigorous. Consequently, primary care physicians must understand the primary mechanisms of bone physiology and pathophysiology for effective prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
Although advanced cases of osteoporosis should be treated medically, the condition can be prevented or treated using normal means of strengthening the bones such as eating a healthy diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, taking normal exercises such as weight lifting and leading a healthy lifestyle that is free from excessive smoking and alcohol consumption. Irrespective of the fact that osteoporosis is a rather silent condition or disorder i.e. an individual may fail to realize that he or she is suffering from the condition until the latter suffers a bone fracture. Bone specialists points out that the condition can still be diagnosed and identified in its early stages through regular bones strength check up and taking a mineral density test (Simmons, Zeitler & Steelman, 2007: 113, Becker, 2007: 24).
The easiest and most ideal prevention of osteoporosis, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (2009), is for one to keep his or her bones strong through eating diet that is particularly rich in calcium and vitamin D. Moreover, regular exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle by refraining from excessive smoking and consumption of alcohol aids greatly in the prevention of this devastating condition (Simmons, Zeitler & Steelman, 2007: 98). However, those who have already developed the condition must learn to take good care of themselves through basic care such as preventing falls, taking light exercise, avoiding lifting heavy loads et cetera.
List of References
Becker, C. (2007). Pathophysiology and Clinical Manifestations of Osteoporosis Clinical Cornerstone, Volume 8, Issue 1, Pages 19-27.
Jill Simmons, Phil Zeitler and Joel, Steelman. (2007). Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoporosis Vol. 54, Issue 1, Pages 85-114.
P. Ahmadpoor, S. Reisi, K. Makhdoomi, A. Ghafari, N. Sepehrvand and E. Rahimi (2009). Osteoporosis and Related Risk Factors in Renal Transplant Recipients :Transplantation Proceedings Vol. 41, Issue 7, Pages 28.20-28.