Osteoporosis: What Should You Know About The Silent Epidemic And The Treatments For The Condition.

 

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Osteoporosis symptoms do not occur when you first develop the disease.  For this reason, it is called the “silent epidemic.”  It sneaks up on you until one day you have a fracture or broken bone.  But over time, you will begin to see various osteoporosis symptoms.  These include:

· Back pain

· Slumped posture

· Bone fracture and breaks

· Compression fractures

As many as 50 percent of women will develop the disease in their lifetimes.  Caucasians and Asians are more likely to develop Osteoporosis than people of other races, but it strikes everyone.  Post menopausal women are the ones most at risk.

Osteoporosis is caused when bone mass decreases.  This results in the bones to be more susceptible to fracture. Bone is constantly being broken down and reabsorbed by cells which are osteoclasts, and then rebuilt by other cells called osteoblasts. As you age, more bone is reabsorbed than replaced.

One of the first osteoporosis symptoms is back pain.  Many patients ignore this or confuse it with the onset of arthritis.  But, if you are experiencing back pain, ask your doctor whether a bone density scan is warranted.

You will often see people with osteoporosis who have a loss of height or slumped posture.  Some people with osteoporosis symptoms lose height and become stooped with a bent back which is called a dowager's hump.  This occurs because the bones of the spine, the vertebrae, gradually collapse within themselves and become compressed. 

When this happens, it is called a compression or crush fracture. People with osteoporosis may also break other bones, particularly the hip and wrist. Hip and wrist fractures often happen when a person with osteoporosis falls. A broken hip is especially serious because it can lead to loss of independence.  It can also lead to loss of function and to serious and even life-threatening problems. 

Compression fractures in the spine can cause severe back pain.  This is generally because of crush fractures.  

Too often osteoporosis becomes apparent in dramatic fashion: a bone breaks.  This can include vertebra, hip, forearm, or any bony site.  These fractures aren’t the result of jumping off a building; they follow relatively minor trauma such as bending over, lifting, jumping, or falling from the standing position. 

However, it should be noted that all broken bones in people with osteoporosis are serious.  That is because bones that are less dense tend to heal slowly and sometimes incompletely. Additionally, if osteoporosis patients break one bone, they tend to break other bones.

If you suspect that you have osteoporosis symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.  While there is no cure, there are treatments including diet changes, supplements, exercise, and medications.  

Your doctor will probably want to get a bone density scan.  Even if you do not have full blown osteoporosis, this will give you a baseline for monitoring the condition in the future.

Osteoporosis Medicine  The Types Of Treatments For The Condition.

Osteoporosis medicine is prescribed when you come down with the disease.  Osteoporosis is a disease which makes your bones brittle and susceptible to fractures and breaks.  It is a serious condition.  20 percent of people who suffer from a spinal break due to osteoporosis will die within a year.  That is why you want to take your osteoporosis medicine.

Post menopausal white and Asian women are the groups most at risk for the condition.  8 million women suffer from osteoporosis and 2 million men do.  It is estimated that 50 percent of women will come down with the disease at some point in their lives.

Osteoporosis has no cure but it can be treated.  Osteoporosis medicine includes:

Actinol – Actinol is a bisphosphonate marketed by Aventis.  Actinol is a prescription medication that prevents and treats postmenopausal osteoporosis. It is the only oral monthly osteoporosis treatment that has been FDA approved to help prevent fractures at both the spine and other areas where fractures commonly occur

Boniva – is another bisphosphonate marketed by Roche labortories.  It comes in two forms: a tablet and an injection.  There are specific guidelines for taking this once a month osteoporosis medication.

Reclase – another bisphosphonate.  It is marketed by Novartis.  Reclast is the only FDA-approved, once-a-year treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis. One annual dose, combined with daily calcium and vitamin D, will help to increase bone density, protecting and strengthening your bones.

      Didronel – marketed by Proctor & Gamble, Didronel tablets contain either 200 mg or 400 mg of etidronate disodium, the disodium salt of (1-hydroxyethylidene) diphosphonic acid, for oral administration. This compound, also known as EHDP, regulates bone metabolism.

Evistra – marketed by Eli Lilly, is prescribed to treat and prevent osteoporosis, the brittle-bone disease that strikes some women after menopause.  It is a selective estrogen receptor modulator

· Forteo – also marketed by Eli Lilly, is a synthetic form of parathyroid hormoneForteo is supplied in a disposable pen device that can be used for up to 28 days to give once-daily self-administered injections. Forteo is available in a 20 microgram (mcg) dose and should be taken for a period of up to 24 months.

· Fosamax – is a Aminobisphosphonate marketed by Merek.  It must be taken exactly as prescribed and can be lifestyle inhibiting.  However, it is a very effective osteoporosis medicine.

      · Miacalcin – is marketed by Novaris.  It is a synthetic form of calcitonin, a naturally occurring hormone produced by the thyroid gland. Miacalcin reduces the rate of calcium loss from bones. Since less calcium passes from the bones to the blood, Miacalcin also helps control blood calcium levels.  It is a nasal spray.

Contact your doctor to see which osteoporosis treatment is right for you.  When you have the illness, it is important to take your osteoporosis medicine.