Take care of your bone health, don't be careless! Beware of these 3 signs of osteoporosis

October 20th is World Osteoporosis Day. This year's theme is "Manage your weight, strengthen your bones." Some people may be wondering, shouldn't we drink more bone soup and take more calcium tablets to protect our bone health? What is the connection with weight and muscle?

Here, Nanhua Hospital affiliated to the University of South China will introduce to you the causes of osteoporosis:

First of all, osteoporosis is a bone disease that is caused by decreased bone density and bone mass, which makes bones fragile and easily lead to fractures, bone pain and muscle weakness. In severe cases, there may even be complications such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and even cyanosis.

Secondly, muscles serve as a protective mechanism for bones. By exercising muscles, we can increase muscle strength and power, improve the protective ability of bones, and reduce the risk of fractures.

Finally, most of the calcium ions in bone broth are in the form of calcium phosphate, which is insoluble in water. In fact, there are a large amount of purine and fat components in bone broth, which can easily cause us to gain weight and increase the risk of gout and cardiovascular disease.

So drinking bone soup does not equal calcium supplementation!

Some friends may want to ask, I don’t like sports, can I just take calcium tablets to prevent osteoporosis?

Let’s take a look at the population suffering from osteoporosis.

As we know before, osteoporosis is a metabolic disease that is prone to fractures. It can occur at all ages, but it often occurs in the elderly, especially postmenopausal women.

This is due to the decline of endocrine in the body. Women at around 50 years old experience ovarian decline and a drop in estrogen levels, while men at around 60 years old experience a drop in testosterone levels. This results in enhanced osteoclast function and accelerated bone loss, so osteoporosis is more common in these two groups of people.

In addition to endocrine factors, lack of nutrients, muscle atrophy and bone loss caused by reduced exercise, and bad living habits are also important causes of osteoporosis.

Causes of osteoporosis

1. Endocrine factors

When women are around 50 years old, their ovarian function begins to decline, and estrogen deficiency enhances osteoclast function, accelerating bone loss; while men's testosterone levels begin to decline around the age of 60. Therefore, osteoporosis is more common in these two groups of people.

2. Nutritional factors

Calcium and vitamin D deficiency can lead to increased parathyroid secretion, which in turn leads to increased bone resorption. At the same time, vitamin D deficiency can affect the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, impairing bone matrix mineralization.

3. Genetic factors

The level of peak bone density in youth, the rate of bone loss after menopause or in old age, and the risk of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures are all related to genetic factors.

4. Exercise factors

People with well-developed muscles and strong bones have high bone density. Elderly people lack sex hormones, have reduced activity, and have less mechanical stimulation, which causes muscle atrophy and a corresponding decrease in bone mass.

5. Bad living habits and living environment

Smoking, drinking, lack of outdoor activities, high-protein and high-salt diet, drinking large amounts of coffee, lack of sunlight, and long-term use of glucocorticoids are all risk factors for osteoporosis.

So how do we prevent osteoporosis?

1. Start with “eating”

Ensure adequate intake of vegetables and fruits. Eat about half a pound to one pound of vegetables every day, more than half of which should be dark vegetables, and half a pound of fresh fruit; supplement enough protein, eat one egg a day, and give priority to fish, chicken, duck and other poultry to supplement protein; eat more foods rich in isoflavones, such as soy products, and eat nuts in moderation; increase the intake of calcium-rich foods, such as dairy products, seafood, etc.; drink enough water: 7 to 8 cups a day, and drink less alcohol, coffee and strong tea; supplement calcium and vitamin D to promote calcium absorption.

2. Exercise

Reduce sitting and exercise for half an hour every day, including walking, dancing, bone-strengthening exercises, jogging, aerobics, Tai Chi, cycling, etc. Elderly and frail osteoporosis patients must decide the exercise method and intensity according to their own physical condition and venue conditions, and avoid activities that may cause sports injuries such as fractures.

3. Prevention

Prevent falls and don't leave any chances for fractures. The elderly are a key group for osteoporosis. Since short-term treatment of osteoporosis is difficult to be effective, improving muscle strength and preventing falls is the most important and urgent thing.

4. Lifestyle

Spend about half an hour outdoors every day to get mild sunlight (avoid overexposure to the sun); quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption; avoid bad living habits, reduce caffeine and carbonated beverage intake, maintain a proper weight, avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time, and ensure bone health.

5. Drug prevention

The recommended daily calcium intake is 800-1200 mg; the recommended daily vitamin D intake for adults is 200 units, and for the elderly, due to lack of sunlight, insufficient exercise, and decreased absorption function, the recommended daily intake is 400-800 units. Other anti-osteoporosis drugs should be taken under the guidance of a doctor.

Therefore, in order to prevent osteoporosis, in addition to supplementing calcium and vitamins, moderate exercise and developing healthy and reasonable living habits are also essential.

Although osteoporosis does not have obvious symptoms like some acute diseases in hospitals, all diseases are of different sizes, so do not delay treatment because of a small one. If you have the following symptoms, please go to the hospital as soon as possible to cooperate with treatment, and do not be afraid to see a doctor.

Clinical symptoms of osteoporosis

1. Bone pain and muscle weakness

There are no obvious symptoms in the early stages and it needs to be detected through X-rays or precise bone density measurements. Severe symptoms include back pain, fatigue, or bone pain all over the body.

2. Fracture

Fractures often occur from minor activities, trauma, bending, weight bearing, or falls.

3. Complications

People with hunchback or chest deformity may experience symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and even cyanosis.

If you experience the above symptoms, you can go to the Nanhua Hospital affiliated to the University of South China for treatment.

The osteoporosis clinic of Nanhua Hospital affiliated to the University of South China is staffed by famous doctors from the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, who provide comprehensive one-stop services such as bone density screening and diagnosis and treatment for each patient, popularize osteoporosis knowledge, and screen for osteoporosis. Patients diagnosed with osteoporosis can receive standardized diagnosis and treatment in the clinic, receive expert scientific bone health management guidance, and effectively prevent and reduce the health risks caused by osteoporosis.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Liu Ke and Tan Meihua from Nanhua Hospital Affiliated to University of Nanhua

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(Edited by YT)