Bone boosters
Osteoporosis can strike without warning but there are ways to reduce your risks
YOU wouldn’t think coughing or sneezing could break a bone. But if you’re one of the 3.5million living with the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, it could.
With World Osteoporosis Day on Wednesday, it’s timely to think about your bone health – and how lifestyle tweaks can help you avoid the condition.
Osteoporosis mostly affects women over 50 – due to oestrogen levels dropping rapidly after menopause – but bone health is still an important consideration for everyone, at every age.
“Osteoporosis causes 500,000 broken bones every year in the UK, and has a devastating personal and financial impact on people’s lives,” said Lauren Wiggins, director of clinical services at the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS; theros.org.uk). “It’s often referred to as a ‘silent disease’ because of under-diagnoses, under-treatment and low public awareness.
“But the actions we take through our lives can have a direct impact on bone health as we get older,” she added.
As well as age and sex, the condition can also be linked to genetic factors, taking certain medications such as corticosteroids, and certain illnesses like anorexia. Low bodyweight, smoking and excessive alcohol are also risk factors.
Here’s some things you should know about bone health …
You may not know you’ve got it until it’s too late
Osteoporosis has no symptoms, and an easily broken bone after a fall is often the first sign bones have lost strength. “It’s a common misunderstanding that osteoporosis causes aches and pains,” said Wiggins.
“The condition itself doesn’t cause pain, but the resulting impact of breaking a bone can be painful.”
Osteoporosis can affect your height
Spinal breaks can occur without an accident and can be painless. Fractured bones in the back can squash down and become flattened or wedge-shaped – and will stay in this shape after they’ve healed, changing the shape of the spine.
Work and home life can be impacted
The ROS says osteoporosis fractures can mean some people have to stop working because of the pain and/or disability. “Many people living with osteoporosis report that their or their partner’s work is impacted by the condition, causing them to reduce their hours or retire early,” said Wiggins. “Hobbies and people’s social lives are often impacted, with some reducing or stopping these activities, causing them to feel isolated.”
Exercise can help to reduce the risk
Bones stay strong if you give them work to do, said the ROS, explaining that a combination of weight-bearing exercise with impact, and musclestrengthening exercises are the best ways to keep bones strong.
The former involves being on your feet and adding additional force or jolt through your skeleton – anything from walking to star jumps. Wiggins said: “Short bursts of activity can be best, such as running followed by a jog, or jogging followed by a walk.”
Stop or reduce smoking and alcohol intake
Drinking a lot of alcohol increases your risk of osteoporosis. Government advice is to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week.
Smoking slows down the cells that build bone, which means smoking could reduce bone strength and increase the risk of breaking a bone.
“Rest assured though, it’s not too late,” stressed Wiggins. “If you give up smoking, your risk of breaking a bone begins to return to normal.”