Saving herself from osteoporosis
Awoman in her 50s feels frustrated because she can no longer carry her two-year-old granddaughter since she started feeling back pains a few months ago. She became more upset when the pain started to limit her from doing the usual household chores and errands that have been part of her regular routine.
When she finally consulted a physician, she found out that she has started to develop this disease called osteoporosis.
Sharon Bernaldez, 54-years old, feared this condition at first. “Among all other illnesses, osteoporosis is something I never thought I’d experience. I used to hear a lot about osteoporosis in TV ads and from some people
I know, although I never really seriously tried to learn what it’s all about. Maybe that’s why I didn’t really have an idea that I was already falling victim to this disease,” Sharon recalls.
At her age, Sharon has never experienced severe health problems, and no one in her
family has a history of osteoporosis. When
she began feeling the unusual pains, she
thought that it was just because of stress or
over-fatigue, but it didn’t really occur to her that she was starting to develop the disease.
Osteoporosis – when bone tissues weaken and bone density gradually declines – is a common type of bone disease which is more likely to happen to women in their
50s. Often, it is caused by the decline
of women’s estrogen levels during their menopausal stage; and, it also happens to men, usually when in their 70s, due to a
drop in testosterone. Other causes include the lack of vitamin D, hyperparathyroidism, chronic kidney disorder, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, eating disorders, prolonged daily intake of corticosteroid medications or antiseizure drugs, and being confined to a bed, among others.
People who are deemed to be at a higher risk of osteoporosis are those who lack calcium, with small and thin body types, who have a family history of osteoporosis, women who have irregular menstrual cycles, and factors those that who can also lack affect physical the development exercise. Other of this drinking, disease according are smoking to published and habitual studies. alcohol
aches Sharon a few started years feeling back, although back pains it and was body only
a “I few love months getting ago massages when her but pain the last got couple worse. of more months, alarmed it felt when very it painful started for to me. affect I was my breathing. feel pain in Every my bones, time I so breathed, I decided I would to see
Sharon a specialist says. and find out what’s going on,”
Considered by some as a “traitor disease”, osteoporosis doesn’t show early symptoms during its initial stages. Its manifestations become evident later on, such as bone pain, bone fractures, sloping of shoulders, hunched posture, back pains, protruding of abdomen, height loss, and curved back, among others.
Sharon felt a bit relieved when her doctor told her that she’s only in the early stage of the in my disease. back when “They I had found my a checkup. protruding But I bone was so there’s thankful still something that it was I discovered can do to correct early and it.”
Although medications are a bit costly, Sharon follows everything the doctor advises her to do. She was also told to minimize her usual physical activities, and refrain lifting heavy objects. But more importantly, it was recommended that she take calcium regularly.
“I know now that calcium is very important for women like me who are aging, but I
realized that taking a calcium supplement
was not a part of my usual habit. Now, I make sure that calcium-rich food is an integral part of my daily diet. I also take a calcium supplement to help lessen my risk of bone
diseases,” Sharon says.
Calcium is a highly recommended mineral
for women, especially for those who have
osteoporosis. The required calcium intake per
day is at least 1,000 milligrams, Foods that
contain a high amount of calcium include low-fat milk, cheese, green leafy vegetables, salmon, and yogurt, among others.
Sharon adds, “Now, I am more careful with the food I eat, and I try to be more disciplined in maintaining a healthier lifestyle. For me,
it is not only the thought of progressing to
a worse stage of osteoporosis that I fear, but I also want to be free from other health disorders especially now that I’m getting older. It doesn’t hurt to eat right and avoid harmful substances that can cause health problems in the future.”
Upon her doctor’s advice, Sharon needs to be under specific medication for a year and she has to maintain the level of calcium and other necessary vitamins in her diet. At
present, she no longer feels extreme pain. She also engages in regular but less-strenous exercise like jogging and walking.
For Sharon, maintaining healthy bones is the way to a longer and healthier life. “I want to enjoy my grandchildren and see them grow up. I want to be strong even when
I’m already in my 60s or 70s – I dread the
thought of having a hunched back or
being confined to a wheelchair. Taking calcium as part of my daily regimen is one of the important lifestyle changes I made. I want to live longer, so I choose to be healthy. “
“I know now that calcium is very important for women like me who are aging, but I realized that taking a calcium supplement was not a part of my usual habit. Now, I make sure that calcium-rich food is an integral part of my daily diet. I also take a calcium supplement to help lessen my risk of bone diseases.”