Understanding Osteoporosis

Tara Ly
Oct 4
2 min read

The most recent research indicates that 3.4% of the Australian population has been diagnosed with osteoporosis. However, there are likely to be hundreds of thousands more that remain undiagnosed.

So, what is osteoporosis, what are the symptoms, the causes and strategies to prevent it?

Osteoporosis (meaning "porous bones") is a skeletal disorder where bones lose minerals (like calcium) faster than they can be replaced, resulting in decreased bone density. This makes bones weak, fragile, and more prone to breaking (fractures).

It’s a chronic (long-term) condition that is often not detected until someone suffers a bone fracture.

Key Risks

Age - the risk increases with age.
Gender - women are at higher risk than men.
Poor Nutrition - insufficient calcium and vitamin D intake can lead to bone density loss.
Family History
Medical Conditions - such as hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) and diabetes
Cancer Medications

There are also lifestyle factors that increase the risk of osteoporosis:

Smoking
Excessive consumption of alcohol
Lack of exercise

Symptoms of Osteoporosis

The common symptoms associated with osteoporosis include:

Minimal Trauma Fractures: A fracture from a minor fall, such as from standing height, often seen in the spine, hip, and forearm.
Stooped Posture: A rounded upper back.
Loss of Height: Gradual shrinking.
Back Pain:

Diagnosis

Bone Density Scan: The most common method is a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan, which measures bone density at the spine and hip.
Fracture History: Having a minimal trauma fracture can also indicate osteoporosis.