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What Is Postmenopausal Osteoporosis?

A woman doesn't necessarily have to be post-menopausal to be afflicted with osteoporosis, which is a condition that drastically weakens our bones, making us susceptible to breaks and fractures. However, a woman's chance of developing osteoporosis increases tangentially after menopause because her body is no longer producing the hormones that had previously safe-guarded her bones. In addition, lifestyle can catch up with you. If you haven't been kind to your body, this will have had an impact on the density and strength of yours bones as well.

  1. Hormones

    • When women stop menstruating, they stop producing sufficient amounts of the hormone estrogen, which, among many functions, helps maintain a woman's bone strength, according to Better Health Channel. Five years post-menopausal, some women have lost up to 10 percent of their bone mass. This results in weakened bones that are susceptible to breaking and fracturing. Estrogen and testosterone are considered sex hormones. When these hormones decline, in both women and men, bone loss speeds up.

    Bones With Holes

    • The word "osteoporosis" actually means "bones with holes." As we age, we experience calcium loss and become deficient in estrogen resulting in fragile bones that can break quite easily. Women, the gender that is primarily afflicted with this condition, and men, who can also suffer from osteoporosis, need to start early on in their lives protecting against this bone condition by making sure that they have ample amounts of calcium and vitamin D in their systems. This will help safeguard the strength and density of their bones, according to the Better Health Channel.

    HRT

    • Even though hormone therapy replacement (HRT) is considered controversial because of is evidence that it can cause breast cancer, the Mayo Clinic suggests that a woman might consider undergoing HRT because it can reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis after menopause. However, take into consideration the risks before opting for this approach. The Mayo Clinic advises that men who have osteoporosis take testosterone replacement therapy but only if the man has low levels of testosterone, which can be determined by tests.

    Some Escape This Condition

    • Some elderly individuals do not experience post menopausal osteoporosis because they weren't genetically predisposed to inherit this condition or because they did not engage in risk factors (drinking, smoking, poor diet) when they were younger, which has helped them to maintain strong bones. Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom of Wqed.org suggests that individuals take part in weight-bearing activities because this will strengthen bones. If you are concerned that you might have osteoporosis, ask your doctor if you can undergo a bone density scan.

    Finding Out Too Late

    • A woman, or man, may not know that she has osteoporosis until she sustains a fracture, according to Bone-muscle.health-cares.net (See Additional References). Unfortunately, as we produce less and less calcium as we age, calcium deposits that are present are lifted from the bones, leaving the bones susceptible, to satisfy the need for calcium in the blood stream. As we grow older, phosphate and calcium can be re-absorbed back into the body, from the bones, which results in further weakening of the bones. If you sustain a fracture, and are subsequently diagnosed with osteoporosis, the disease has probably become quite advanced already even though you were unaware that this problem existed.

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