Osteoporosis reduces bone mineral density, making bones more susceptible to fracture. It is a common disease, especially in postmenopausal women and the elderly.
The article was professionally consulted by Dr. CK1 Le Thi Thuy Hang, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Facility 3.
Symptoms of osteoporosis
- Osteoporosis progresses silently with nonspecific symptoms.
- Only manifests when there are complications:
* Acute and chronic bone and back pain.
* Humpback, scoliosis, reduced height due to broken vertebrae.
* Chest pain, shortness of breath, indigestion... due to effects on the chest and vertebral bodies.
* Bone fractures: commonly occur at the distal end of the radius, femoral neck, lumbar and thoracic vertebrae.
* Appears after very mild trauma, even without obvious trauma.
Reason
- Primary osteoporosis: Due to age (over 50 years old), menopause.
- Secondary osteoporosis:
* Age: 50 years and over.
* Personal history: Broken bone after minor trauma, family member has broken bone due to osteoporosis.
* Physical: Short, underweight, losing weight quickly.
* Lifestyle: Sedentary, little exercise, smokes a lot, drinks a lot of alcohol.
* Inadequate diet; lack of calcium, vitamin D, C...
* Diseases causing osteoporosis: Conditions that cause a decrease in sex hormones such as menopause, oophorectomy, prolonged amenorrhea, infertility; hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, insulin-dependent diabetes, renal failure, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, spinal deformities, Cushing's syndrome, gastrointestinal diseases causing malabsorption, gastrointestinal resection, anorexia, hepatobiliary diseases...
* Bone metastasis; cancers (multiple myeloma, leukemia...).
* Use of certain drugs such as corticosteroids, heparin, phenytoin, overdose of thyroid hormone treatment, use of radiation therapy in cancer treatment...
Diagnose
The doctor may prescribe some paraclinical tests to help diagnose and treat the disease such as:
- X-ray of spine or femur.
- Measure bone mass to assess the level of osteoporosis.
- CT Scan or MRI to assess bone mass.
- Quantification of bone resorption and bone formation markers.
Commonly confused diseases
Osteoporosis can be confused with the following diseases:
- Osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bone disease.
- Secondary osteoporosis such as bone metastases, hematopoietic malignancies (multiple myeloma, leukemia...).
- Osteomalacia due to vitamin D deficiency, phosphorus metabolism disorders, tumors, genetic defects...
Treatment
- Modern medicine: Usually uses anti-bone loss drugs, pain relievers, muscle relaxants suitable for acute pain, but if used for a long time, they cause many side effects.
- Traditional medicine:
* The prescriptions Bo trung ich khi thang or Luc vi thang , Huu quy hoan help treat tuberculosis that causes osteoporosis with few side effects.
* Acupuncture and other methods such as thread implantation, auricular acupuncture, hydroacupuncture combined with herbal medicine increase the effectiveness of treatment. Heat therapy such as moxibustion, infrared lamp therapy or herbal medicine bag application helps warm the painful area.
* Acupressure massage combined with spinal exercises and health care movements helps support the disease well.
* Exercise: Exercise from light to strong (for the elderly who are just starting to exercise). You can walk (from normal walking to fast walking and then running), swim, play badminton, dance, practice martial arts.
Prevent
- Lumbar brace, adjust sitting or standing posture correctly.
- Eat nutritious food.
* Foods that provide calcium include milk, yogurt, cheese, kale, dark green leafy vegetables, tofu, herring, salmon...
* Foods that are rich in vitamin D include cod liver oil, fortified milk, egg yolks, tuna, salmon, canned sardines, shrimp, veal liver...
- Sunbathe and take 400 IU of vitamin D daily.
- Exercise regularly.
- Quit smoking or drinking too much alcohol or coffee.
American Italy
Source link
Comment (0)