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Osteoporosis Signs

Aging is an inevitable part of life. Unfortunately, aging can lead to weakened bones. Weakened bone structure is called osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes bones to become very porous and brittle, and this leads to extremely fragile bones that are susceptible to fractures. There are two main types of fractures caused by osteoporosis, cracking and compression. Compression fractures are caused by pressure being applied to brittle bones and cracking fractures can come from falls, bumps or almost any everyday activity. Stooped posture and loss of height are also signs of osteoporosis.

  1. Bone Fractures

    • Many people may not know they have osteoporosis until they break a bone. Typically a fracture caused by osteoporosis comes from doing an activity that does not usually cause a fracture. Hip fractures are very common in patients with osteoporosis and usually result from falls. Compression fractures are most common in the spine. Pressure from everyday activities becomes too much for the brittle bones and fractures are the result.

    Dowager's Hump

    • Dowager's hump can occur in men or women with osteoporosis. Dowager's hump is usually caused by multiple compression fractures in the spine. This causes the spine to bend forward, thus creating a hump at the top of the back. Dowager's hump can be prevented by taking measures to stop osteoporosis. Always ask your doctor before starting any medicine or supplement regimen.

    Height Shrinkage

    • Loss of height is caused by deterioration of the spine through multiple compression fractures. Both men and women can shrink due to osteoporosis. This process is particularly painful and can last for years. Chronic low back pain could be an indicator of shrinking and osteoporosis.

    Stress Fractures

    • Stress fractures are fractures that come from doing everyday activities such as walking. These fractures are very small and some people may not realize they have stress fractures until they have pain. Stress fractures can also lead to other problems such as arthritis after the fractures heal.

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