Your health

got a medical problem or need health advice? ask gP Dr Rosemary leonard

tHis MontH… Hysterectomy complications • Checking for thin bones • Diverticular disease and high-fbre foods

QI recently fell over on an icy pavement and broke my wrist. I’m 55, so does this mean I have osteoporosis, and if so, what should I do about it?

Aeven a strong bone can break during a really heavy or traumatic fall, but breaking a bone during a light fall, which when you were younger would not have done any serious damage, can be a sign that your bones are fragile. the only way to know for sure if you have thin bones is to have a bone density, or DeXa, scan. this should now be arranged automatically for any woman in her fifties who breaks her wrist, so check with your gP. Regardless of the result, you can help maintain your bones by eating at least 800mg of calcium a day (ideally through calciumrich foods), and take a 800iu daily vitamin D supplement, plus do regular weight-bearing exercise, such as brisk walking, stair-climbing and low-impact aerobics. If the scan shows you have osteoporosis, your gP should prescribe treatment for you, usually a bisphosphonate drug, taken either once a week or once a month.