Osteoporosis Symptoms:

If you suffer from a condition called osteoporosis, it generally means that you have lost some bone density within your body. As bone material diminishes, the bones become more prone to fractures and breaks. Although osteoporosis most commonly affects older individuals, it can impact people of any age. Some people find that their risk of suffering from osteoporosis grows in their later years. Fortunately, there are measures that can be taken to slow down bone loss. In certain people who are suffering from osteoporosis, medication can be used to help restore bone density. According to WebMD, osteoporosis symptoms could include: backache, a gradual loss of height and an accompanying stooped posture, and fractures of the spine, wrist, or hip. (1)

How Common Is Osteoporosis?

In the United States, more than 53 million people either already have osteoporosis or are at high risk due to low bone mass, according to the The National Institutes of Health. (2) Although osteoporosis can occur in women and men of any age, it’s worth noting that women lose more bone material on a faster scale than men. This is especially true once they have experienced menopause, causing their levels of estrogen to fall. Other risk factors that can lead to osteoporosis and bone loss include:

– Body size: smaller individuals are more at risk.
– Ethnicity: Asian and white woman are at greater risk.
– Family history: If you have instances of osteoporosis throughout your family tree, you have a greater risk of suffering from it yourself.

A Closer Look at Osteoporosis Symptoms:

Most of the time, osteoporosis will develop slowly over a number of years, with symptoms that are either so minimal you do not notice them, or impossible to recognize. However, after a certain amount of bone loss takes place, chances are that you will begin to notice a few signs that things aren’t quite right.

The first, and most prominent sign of osteoporosis symptoms, is suffering from a bone fracture after a very minor injury, such as a slight fall. If you suffer from osteoporosis, the gentle force involved in simply falling to the ground from the height of a chair or less, could be enough to fracture your bones. This shouldn’t really happen in someone without osteoporosis. Fragility fractures are most likely to take place within the wrist, hip and vertebrae (the selection of bones that join together to create the spine). For older people in particular, a fractured bone can result in very serious consequences. For example, certain studies suggest that approximately 50% of the people who experience a hip fracture later in life will be unable to continue living independently from that point on. The reason for this is that hip fractures can lead to excessive, and permanent problems with mobility.

Stooping and Loss of Height:

Another common set of osteoporosis symptoms, are back pains, stooping, and loss of height. These symptoms often take place after you have accidentally fractured one or more of your vertebrae. The vertebrae of a person with osteoporosis may suffer a fracture even without any significant force, or a fall. It can even become squashed under the natural weight of your body. A bent posture, when it becomes quite severe, could have an impact on your ability to conduct your regular daily activities. What’s more, some people have commented that a stoop leads to issues with breathing, as it reduces the space your lungs have within your chest. Collapsed vertebrae may initially be felt or seen in the form of severe back pain, loss of height, or spinal deformities such as kyphosis (severely stooped posture. (2)

Sources:

1.) https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/guide/understanding-osteoporosis-symptoms

2.) https://www.bones.nih.gov/health-info/bone/osteoporosis/overview