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Osteoporosis
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 Osteoporosis affects at least 10 million Americans, most of whom are women. With osteoporosis, bones become thin and brittle and are more likely to break.
Some symptons of osteoporosis are back pain or tenderness. Signs include a loss of height, and a slight curving of the upper back. This curving of the spine is called a "dowager's hump". As the spinal bones weaken they slowly collapse under the weight of the body and cause this curving.
Risk factors
It's important to know the factors that can contribute to thinning bones and put women at risk for osteoporosis.
* Family history of osteoporosis
* Broken bones from a minor injury
* A thin or petite build
* Alcohol and tobacco use
* Infrequent exercise
* Use of certain medications, such as steroids
* Too little calcium or Vitamin D in your diet
Prevention
To prevent osteoporosis, focus on building and keeping as much bone as you can.
We recommend exercising and eating enough calcium and Vitamin D during your reproductive years, especially during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. After menopause, your doctor may suggest therapy to protect against bone loss.
Exercise - Excercise increases bone mass before menopause and slows bone loss after menopause. Just as muscles become stronger with regular excercise, so do bones. Bones are strengthened by having the muscles pull on them.
Active women have higher bone density than women who do not exercise. Even walking several blocks each day will slow bone loss. It is never too late to start exercising and even a little bit of exercise is better than none at all.
Diet
Calcium is known to slow the rate of bone loss. Good sources of calcium are dairy products such as milk and yogurt. Other sources are leafy green vegetables, nuts, seafood, and juices and cereals fortified with Calcium.
Since most women need more Calcium than they get in their diets, they may need to take Calcium supplements.
For example, if you take hormone therapy and are 50 years of age you need between 12,000mg and 15,000mg of Calcium per day. Vitamin D helps in the absorption of Calcium and milk fortified with Vitamin D is an excellent source.
Detection - You can be given special tests that show the density of bone. Bone Density (Dexa Scan) is a simple, painless test. The result of your Bone Density test is a T-score, which compares your bone mass to that of a population of normal young adult women.
Recommendations for who should get tested
A bone density test is recommended for:
* All women over age 65
* All post menopausal women under age 65 with risk factors for osteoporosis.
* Post menopausal women with fractures
* Women who have been HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) for prolonged periods of time.
Bone Density (Dexa Scan) is offered in our Southampton office. Talk to your doctor about testing.
The test is covered by most insurance companies.
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Seeing patients in our offices in
Southampton (631-283-0918), Riverhead (631-727-3422)
Copyright 2004 by Hamptons OB/GYN; Photography by Carolyn Conrad; Site by Hamptons Online
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