Healthy Living for Women
"Bone Density" (osteoporosis)
|
View Healthy Living for Women: Bone Density |
The Basics on Bone Density (osteoporosis):
- Risk of mortality is much higher after a fracture.
- Calcium intake and absorption and weight-bearing exercise play an important role in building your bone density.
- Exercise in childhood helps build bone density and, therefore, helps prevent fractures later in life.
- If you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, check with your physician to see what type of exercise is appropriate for you.
- Breast-feeding and lactation causes a decline in bone density. But following completion of breast-feeding, bone density returns to a normal level.
- Long periods of bed rest can have a negative impact on bone density.
- Men have better bone density and are less prone to osteoporosis than women because they have more muscle mass which means more work is being done on their bones as they move around in the day to day activities.
- Estrogen has a protective effect on the bones. Therefore, post menopausal women are at higher risk for osteoporosis than younger women.
- Calcium and Vitamin D supplements, weight-bearing exercise, smoking cessation and avoiding alcohol can reduce the risk of osteoporosis. (1)
- There is no pain associated with osteoporosis unless there has been a fracture.
- A bone density test is the best way to diagnose osteoporosis.
- 500 to 1,000 milligrams of extra calcium is recommended by many doctors. (1)
- Some research has suggested that hormone therapy to aid osteoporosis can increase the risk of breast cancer for some women.
1) Source: Intelihealth.com
Please go to United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania for links to local resources and information.
