If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, this means that your bones are porous. When you have porous bones, it leads to weak and brittle bones that break easily and cause lots of pain. You will notice that everyday movements, such as bending over and stretching become harder to do and more painful. Doing simple things like vacuuming, bending over or even coughing can cause you to fracture a bone. Lack of calcium is a leading cause for osteoporosis, which can lower the level of density your bones have.

What is osteoporosis?

A lot of people who have developed osteoporosis have fractured bones, mostly in the spine, hips and wrist. Many people look at osteoporosis as a disease that only women get, but this couldn’t be any more false. There are lots of men who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. If you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis or are on the verge of getting it; seek help. You can never be too late or too early to receive treatment.

What are the symptoms of osteoporosis?

Some people don’t have any symptoms during the beginning stages of osteoporosis, but once your bones have become weakened, you may notice the following:

• Back pains - this can be a cause of a collapsed or fractured vertebrae.
• A stooped posture and a loss of height.
• Fracture in your wrists, hip, vertebrae or other bones.

What causes osteoporosis?

The density of your bones can decrease when there is a lack of calcium, phosphorous and other minerals your body is used to having. When this occurs, the density of your bones will drop and will cause them to be more prone to fractures and breaks because they bend more easily. Scientists aren’t positive of why osteoporosis occurs, but they do know that it has to do with how the bones are made. There is a remodeling process that consists of new bone layers forming and older bones being broken down.

It is said to take between two to three months for the bone remodeling process to be complete. Younger people’s body’s renew bones very quickly and causes an increase in bone mass. When you are in your mid-30s is when your bone mass reaches its highest. Afterwards, the body continues the remodeling process, but you begin to lose more than you are getting. Women who have gone through menopause witness a decrease in estrogen levels and begin to have an increase in the amounts of bone mass loss.

Depending on how much bone mass you have developed between the ages of 25 and 35 and how quickly you lose bones later will determine how at risk you are of developing osteoporosis. You may have lower amounts of bone density if you are lacking vitamin D and calcium in your diet; this can cause rapid bone loss later on.

How to keep your bones healthy

To help lower your risks of getting osteoporosis, you can exercise on a regular basis and consume a lot of vitamin D and calcium; the two are a great combination and can help you to absorb calcium even better.