Osteoporosis Awareness & Prevention Month

It is the end of the month, but what I am about to cover should be something everyone knows about (especially women). May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention month. This disease is often overlooked, so my blog post today will be about what it is, what to look for, and how to prevent it!

What is Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a bone disease, and you will either lose too much bone or not make enough. Therefore, your bones will become very brittle and weak. In serious cases, the bone loss can be so severe that bumping into furniture will cause you to break bones. Osteoporosis literally means porous bone. This is because the bone will look like a honeycomb. As you get older, the more bone density you will lose. The facts are scary, and you can find more of those facts can be found at the American Recall Center.

The American Recall Center has developed a new site that is devoted to providing health and wellness news in a simple and straightforward way. Their goal is to inform everyone of facts and risk factors that come with the disease.

Osteoporosis & Hip Fractures

Osteoporosis is often a factor in hip fractures, which often will lead to full hip replacement surgery.

• One out of every two women and one in four men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. The most serious osteoporotic fractures are hip fractures.
• The majority of those who experience hip fractures will require assistance in their day-to-day lives. Twenty percent of seniors who suffer a hip fracture die within a year.
• Due to an aging population and a lack of focus on bone health in the past, the number of hip fractures in the United States could double or triple by the year 2020.
• Nearly 75% of all hip fractures occur in women.
• Osteoporosis accounts for more time spent in the hospital than diseases like diabetes, heart attack and breast cancer among women over 45.
• Hip fractures cost more than $11 billion each year (approximately $37,000 per patient).

It is a very good idea to have a bone density test done, especially if you are over the age of 60.
The best way to prevent osteoporosis is to stay active and eat foods rich in Calcium and Vitamin D.