Osteoporosis Symptoms

Osteoporosis can be a difficult disease to diagnose in its early stages, as frequently there are few osteoporosis symptoms until the disease has significantly advanced. Osteoporosis affects the bones in your body by thinning them and lessening their density, leaving them pock-marked with tiny holes, and making them more prone to breakage. Many osteoporosis sufferers first discover they have the disease when they break a hip or wrist without suffering a major fall.

Osteoporosis generally affects women over 60, but the disease is also found in men. Bones begin to naturally thin around the age of 30 years, and progressively become less dense and more porous. The amount of calcium and Vitamin D you take in affects the degree of bone thinning and overall prognosis.

Menopausal women are particularly at risk for osteoporosis, as the decline in the production of estrogen that accompanies menopause leaves bones unprotected from a reduction of bone density. Taking hormone replacement therapy can help increase estrogen levels and prevent osteoporosis symptoms.

Early Detection of Osteoporosis Symptoms

Although osteoporosis is difficult to detect in its early stages, there are some osteoporosis symptoms that should be discussed with your doctor immediately. Chronic back pain caused by tiny fractures in the spine occurs in many sufferers. A related symptom is a curved upper back, traditionally called a "dowager’s hump," which is also caused by these compression fractures. Any bone fracture that is not obviously caused by a major trauma should also be discussed with your doctor.

Because these osteoporosis symptoms usually occur once the disease has progressed for some time, the best way to correct the disease is by preventing it in the first place. Regular exercise and a diet rich in vitamins and minerals is important to overall health and can reduce the chance of osteoporosis. The best way to avoid osteoporosis symptoms is through calcium supplementation. It is a challenge to get enough calcium naturally in an average adult diet, so calcium supplementation is critical to prevent osteoporosis. Supplementation should start at age 30, when your bones begin naturally thinning, and should be continued throughout your life. Supplementation has also shown great promise in people who already have osteoporosis symptoms.