Osteoporosis is a disease that can devastate and disrupt the lives of a whole family.

Sounds harsh? It’s true. So hear me out…

Through a few FAQs, I’ll hopefully shed some light on this peculiar low bone density phenomenon (which might be as mysterious as a cat to many). And also what Osteopenia is and how it’s different from Osteoporosis.

The good, the bad and the ugly of being Osteoporotic

Let’s start with “the ugly” of osteoporosis first and work our way up, shall we?

And yes you’re right, there’s no “good” to this disease.

When you break a hip or your back collapses due to osteoporosis, it’ll affect your whole family and possibly your friends too. 

 

Just imagine… The surgery to mend a broken hip in itself can be intense. But fortunately, you survived it. 

You’re halfway bed-bound, except for the few steps with the physiotherapist down the hospital hallway. But it’s sooo hard! You know you’re old and weak, but you give it your all. And you know it’ll take a long time before you (hopefully) can walk by yourself again. To get back to your life.

Back home…things are a lot harder than you could’ve imagined! Your family love you and they help where they can because you can’t help yourself. And you’re so scared! You’re grateful for all the sympathetic looks and empathetic gestures. But you can’t help to feel immense guilt for this unimaginable disruption to their lives. They have their own lives and responsibilities.  

Now, what if this event changes your whole life as you knew it – and not for the better? What if you had to give up your “freedom” and your independence? Your house and community by moving to where you can be taken care of? I know it seems a bit grim to even imagine something like this, right? 

BUT it’s a painful reality for way too many.

 

That’s why I’d like to have this serious talk with you…

As a medical professional, but also as a friend who cares, to give a few pointers to try and prevent any of these scenarios.

 

So who am I and why should you listen to me?

Apart from being a huge health advocate…I’m an ex-radiographer of many years, who specialised in Woman’s Imaging. 

Way too many patients received a shortened version of this talking to in the bone-density room over the years. Hopefully, I could make a difference in their (or their loved ones) health and lives to some extent. 

But I’m also an only child and daughter…who almost lost my mom last year after she broke her hip. And after many complications.

She spent 22 days in 2 different hospitals, 2 different cities, 3 different types of specialists and way too many medical bills after her (good) medical insurance was maxed out. 

My poor dad and my aunt spent most of their days like headless chickens between driving to the hospital and taking care of the house and garden between visiting hours. And us, one and a half hours’ drive away, visiting every few days for a few days. Taking leave from work. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a freelance copywriter already back then!

She was released on Dad’s 80’th birthday (day 7), just to be rushed back by ambulance 3 hours later! The worst of all, she doesn’t even remember a thing about that day…

She thankfully recovered by (many) miracles and my parents are still living self-sufficient in their home. 

I’m willing to answer any questions you might still have after reading till the end (drop me an email maritha@cuppa-copy.com or phone/message me at +27 79 756 8864 and ask away!).

 

What is Osteoporosis then?

As we get older, our bones get weaker, become brittle and can easily break. And eventually, turn into a question mark (your back hunches forward). The worst the situation, the easier fractures can occur. Even with the least strain like turning (in Mom’s case), bending over or coughing! 

Like all other tissues in our bodies, old bone cells also get replaced by new ones every 2 weeks.

Did you know that your whole skeleton is renewed every 5 to10 years? Cool, right?

So what’s the problem then, I hear you ask?

Our bone cells get renewed at a much slower rate than the new ones are formed as we age and through many other factors, as you’ll see. So keep reading…

 

 

Who is prone to getting osteoporosis (“the bad”)?

Essentially everybody…should we grow old enough. 

In our early twenties, bone renewal starts to slow down and from there on, it’s downwards. 

Risk factors for osteoporosis and low bone density

• Age – the older we get, the weaker the bones
• Sex – women after menopause when estrogen levels drop
• Race – white and Asian women are more prone (Mayo Clinic)
• Family history – especially of someone young or pre-menopausal
• Appearance – people with a small frame, blonde hair, pale skin and blue eyes

• Lowered sex hormones – drop in estrogen levels in women after menopause and breast cancer treatments and testosterone levels in men who underwent prostate treatment.
• Overactive parathyroid and adrenal glands play a big role in osteoporosis
• Overactive thyroid – too much thyroid hormone also weakens bones
• Excessive smoking history in both men and women
• Poor and unhealthy diet – especially low calcium and vitamin D
• Inactive lifestyle
• Many medications such as corticosteroids and anti-seizure medications

 

Is there “a good” after all?

Most certainly, if you’re willing to take care of yourself and take your own health at heart. It’s never too late or too early to take care of your bones.

Even though a bone density as low as osteoporosis can never be restored back to normal…

It can surely be improved with the right plan of action to where you have a smaller risk factor for getting fractures.

Your fool-proof bone density Plan of Action!

• Get a baseline DEXA (bone density test) to see where you’re at. It’s a (low radiation) X-Ray test where bone density results are categorized into 3 stages descending from “normal”, and “osteopenia” to “osteoporosis”. Osteopenia, the middle range is also divided between mild, moderate and severe osteopenia. And you’ll preferably aim for normal bone density to mild osteopenia with minor fracture risk. Then repeat the test every 2 years if your bone density results aren’t normal to make sure it doesn’t decrease.
• Eat as healthy as you can by including green and leafy vegetables,  supplements like calcium and vitamin D, collagen, chia seeds (do yourself the favour of researching this incredible healthy little seed), bone broth, citrus fruits, kefir and dairy products (if you’re not lactose intolerant). Remember, there is also a thing such as too much vitamin D, so be careful and always consult your healthcare practitioner. 
• Sun exposure – a safe amount of 5-10 minutes 3x a week to the arms and hands, legs and face is enough for the skin to produce all the Vitamin D you need. 
• Weightbearing exercise with mild impact like walking, running, and jumping. Although swimming and cycling are great types of exercise, they won’t do anything for your bones, as you’re not carrying your own weight and there’s no impact at all. No time for exercise? Park a little further from the door or take the stairs instead of the lift!
• Hormone replacement therapy (estrogen) for menopausal women. But if you can’t or don’t want to take hormones for some or other reason, just do everything else to care for your bones.
• Cutting out smoking and excessive alcohol will definitely help a lot because they’re really bad for your bones.
• And should you get the unfortunate news of an osteoporosis result, don’t panic. Do everything you can and your gynaecologist will take care of the treatment. There is an osteoporosis drip you can get once a year (we’ve seen great results from it) and also some medications you can take weekly or daily. All of these do have their own list of side effects and restrictions, but will definitely be worth it to lower your fracture risk.

 

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