Male Osteoporosis

by | Dec 28, 2014 | osteoporosis | 0 comments

One of the biggest health scares in recent times is osteoporosis. This bone disease is apparently known as ‘the silent thief’ because bones start losing their mass without any symptoms. While this was earlier a leading male osteoporosis cause among older people, today it is indeed prevalent among men and women over the age of 50 or 60.

Since men have a higher bone density as compared to women, osteoporosis tends to develop less often in men than women. This is one possible reason men often tend to ignore their health problems related to bones. Losing bone mass with aging is a natural occurrence among humans, but it is men who suffer a higher risk of fractures, thus losing mobility after a certain age. In fact, statistics reveal that men older than 50 years of age are more likely to crack a bone due to osteoporosis than suffer from prostate cancer.

Male Osteoporosis

There are several reasons for the occurrence of male osteoporosis. Lack of exercising, smoking, excess consumption of alcohol, certain medicines like cortico steroids and even having low testosterone levels can put men at a high risk. Genetic factors like family hereditary also plays spoilsport to one’s bone health. As a result of this, men usually have to face heavy medication and male osteoporosis treatment at an early age. It has also been observed that low estrogen levels in men lead to a quicker loss of bone weight. Though bone loss begins between the ages of 35-50 years, it gradually carries on into the old age thus proving detrimental to one’s health. The moment a man is diagnosed with osteoporosis, bone fragility and broken bones are at high stake. Major fractures of the hip, spine and legs are a key reason for the increase in mortality rate among men. This needs to be prevented, and steps need to be taken towards sustaining one’s bone mass.

The male osteoporosis treatment begins with a drastic change in lifestyle. Ensuring a healthy diet that is enriched with vitamin D and calcium, it can do wonders to keep the bones fit and strong. One needs to cut down on the consumption of alcohol and stop smoking tobacco to lower the risk of the dreadful illness. Regular exercising and jogging ensure your bones and muscles stay rigid. No doubt, the illness causes high damage physically. It consequentially leads to the loss of self-esteem and decreases independency, which is even worse.

The treatment of male osteoporosis involves drugs called bisphosphonates that help prevent fracture. Several other medical drugs have been prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Sometimes osteoporosis isn’t easily recognized among men. People do not often undergo regular health check-ups as they are under the impression that they are perfectly healthy, and ignore the major male osteoporosis symptoms. This should certainly not be the approach towards healthcare. Identifying the risk factors and immediate diagnosis of this bone disease is extremely vital in the case of male osteoporosis. The widely recognized Bone Mineral Density (BMD) test which uses X-ray, measures mineral density at the hip and spine for easy detection of the disease.

One needs to visit the doctor on a regular basis to keep a tab on the level of bone mass. Even minor injuries need medical help and should not be ignored. They say prevention is better than cure. Then why should one wait for the condition to get worsened and delay the treatment? Hence, it is extremely essential for men to maintain a healthy lifestyle and habitually check with their doctors for any signs of the bone disease.

 

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Amelia Smith

Nutritionist, herbalist, health and medicine writer and yoga enthusiast, Amelia Smith, is a professional in the health, nutrition and diet industry.

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