Osteoporosis is caused by low bone mass that makes bones fragile and more likely to break. Your risk is affected by genetics, peak bone mass, sex, age and certain medications.

Healthy eating and exercise can help prevent osteoporosis, and there are several medications that slow bone loss and help build bones. Contact OsteoStrong Wisconsin for professional help.
The best thing you can do to prevent osteoporosis is to eat a healthy diet and take in enough calcium. Other bone-healthy foods to include are fatty fish (especially salmon and trout), leafy vegetables, whole grains and fruit. It is also important to get enough protein and sodium-free fluids. A nutrient-dense eating pattern is essential, especially with age, as your body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients declines.
Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle, leading to breaks, most commonly in the hip or spine. The disease develops when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep pace with the destruction of old bone tissue. This process is faster in women past menopause, and people with certain risk factors like a family history of osteoporosis or sex hormone problems like low estrogen levels after menopause are at greater risk for developing the condition.
Prevention of the disease starts early, with a bone-healthy diet in childhood to help ensure that children reach their highest peak bone mass. In adults, prevention is even more important because a rapid decrease in bone density occurs after menopause, when the body’s natural sex hormones are no longer produced.
You can help slow the rate of bone loss by avoiding some common risk factors, such as smoking and drinking too much alcohol. Bone-healthy lifestyle habits should begin in childhood and be continued throughout life.
In addition to a diet rich in calcium, other ways to promote bone health include getting plenty of weight-bearing exercise. Strength-training exercises increase muscle strength, which helps to protect bones. They can also reduce the chance of falls, which are the most common cause of fractures in older people.
It’s recommended that adults get about 2,000 calories a day from all sources, including fats and carbohydrates. However, try to limit added sugars and sodium intake. Too much sodium can increase your risk of high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for osteoporosis. If you do consume salt, choose foods with lower amounts of sodium or add spices to foods instead. People who have trouble getting enough calcium from their diets should talk to a healthcare provider about taking a calcium supplement. But be sure to avoid taking antacids containing aluminum, which can interfere with the body’s absorption of calcium.
Get Regular Exercise
Getting enough calcium and vitamin D, practicing good bone-building exercises and using certain medications help build strong bones and reduce the risk of fractures. However, it’s important to note that these are just one part of the prevention strategy against osteoporosis. Other important components of prevention include reducing falls, improving balance and increasing muscle strength.
The primary goal of osteoporosis prevention is to slow the loss of bone strength over time. This can be done through a combination of exercise, lifestyle changes and, in some cases, bone medications. Improving balance and boosting muscle strength can also reduce the risk of falls that can lead to hip fractures.
Your risk of osteoporosis is influenced by many factors, including your age, sex and genes. Some of these are things that you can’t change, such as your height and your family history. However, there are a number of things that you can do to help prevent osteoporosis, such as eating a healthy diet that includes calcium and vitamin D, participating in regular exercise, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol use.
Most adults need about 200 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day from food, primarily dairy products. Milk is an excellent source of calcium, and you can also get it from other foods such as yogurt, cheese, sardines, white beans, kale and tofu. Other sources of vitamin D, which helps strengthen bones, are fortified cereals, egg yolks and some fish.
Exercise is critical for preventing osteoporosis because it stimulates the cells in your bones to produce proteins that bolster bone density and prevent bone loss. Adults need at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking each week and strengthening exercises that work all major muscles on two or more days a week. Talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program. They may recommend working with a physical therapist to learn how to do weight-bearing exercise safely that will not put too much stress on your bones.
In addition to exercise, your health care provider may also suggest a medical evaluation for osteoporosis that includes a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DEXA scan, to measure and report your bone mineral density. This test measures the amount of bone density in your hip, spine and wrists. The results are reported in a number called a z-score. This score compares your bone density to that of other people of the same sex, age and ethnicity.
Avoid Smoking
A leading preventable cause of fractures and weakness in older adults, osteoporosis causes bones to become thin, weak and break easily. It is most common in the spine, wrist and hip, but can happen anywhere in the body. It has no symptoms, and many people do not know they have the condition until they experience a bone fracture.
Although osteoporosis is a natural part of aging, most cases can be prevented by following healthy lifestyle actions and taking calcium and vitamin D supplements as needed. It is especially important to start these bone healthy actions in childhood and continue them throughout your lifetime.
Smoking has been shown to decrease bone density and increase the risk of osteoporosis. This is due to the nicotine in cigarettes blocking bone-forming cells, decreasing blood flow to the bones, interfering with hormones that play a role in bone health (such as estrogen), and raising levels of free radicals in the body which can damage bones.
In addition, cigarette smoking increases the production of a protein called RANKL which can increase bone resorption and lead to osteoporosis. The compounds in cigarette smoke also affect the OPG (osteoprotegerin)/RANK pathway by increasing cytokines such as interferon g, IL-1, IL-11, and TNF-a which lead to inflammation and disturb the normal calcium-phosphate balance [22].
It is recommended that smokers take medications that can help prevent and treat osteoporosis, including calcium and vitamin D supplements and bisphosphonates. However, it is also important to avoid secondhand smoke as this can negatively affect bone health. The nicotine in cigarette smoke binds to the receptors in osteoblasts, which lowers their ability to produce and maintain bone. This is why it is recommended that smokers take measures to eliminate secondhand smoke in their homes and work places as much as possible.
A healthcare provider can diagnose osteoporosis by performing a simple imaging test called a DEXA or DXA scan or a bone density test. A DEXA or DXA scan is a painless procedure that measures the strength and structure of your bones using X-rays. The results are measured in terms of your bone mineral density or BMD, which is a measure of the amount of calcium and other minerals such as phosphorus in your bones.
Get Regular Checkups
Getting regular checkups, especially as you age, is an important part of osteoporosis prevention. Your doctor can assess your risk factors and recommend a treatment plan that will keep your bones strong. You should also tell your doctor if you have any family members who have had bone fractures or breaks.
The best way to identify osteoporosis is by having a bone density scan. This is a safe and painless test that uses low levels of X-rays to measure how much bone mass you have. This is usually done in your hip, wrist or spine. It’s also sometimes called a DXA scan, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or BMD test.
A healthy diet and exercise are great ways to prevent osteoporosis, but it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider about what’s right for you. Your provider will discuss your family history, lifestyle and other risk factors that could affect your bone health.
For example, some medicines may increase your risk of osteoporosis. These include proton pump inhibitors (such as those used to treat acid reflux) and corticosteroids. In addition, excessive drinking can lead to decreased bone density and increase your risk of fractures.
Having a healthy diet, exercising regularly and avoiding certain lifestyle habits can help prevent osteoporosis. But if your loved one has already developed osteoporosis, there are things you can do to improve their quality of life and help them stay mobile.
Encourage your loved one to be physically active and make sure they have a fall prevention plan in place. This might include having a personal emergency response system or a cordless phone in their home and removing any hazards like loose rugs. Getting social support can also help your loved one keep up their spirits and continue to feel like a productive member of the community.
Taking steps to prevent osteoporosis can help your loved ones live their lives to the fullest. However, osteoporosis is not a normal part of aging and can cause painful broken bones, disability and even death. Screening can detect the disease early, so it’s important that all adults, particularly women, get screened regularly.