What are the different causes and symptoms of osteoporosis?
- Loss of height
- Awkward posture
- Difficulty breathing
- Brittle fingernails
Osteoporosis is a bone disease that causes weak and brittle bones. Patients who are suffering from this often get injured even by the slightest of stress. A minor bump or fall can lead to excruciating pain associated with a fracture in the wrist, spine, neck, or hip area. Osteoporosis causes and symptoms are typically easy to identify as they manifest as immediate pain sensations in the patient. This is why it’s advised that they see a doctor immediately if they feel any painful sensations in the above-mentioned bodily regions.
Physiologically, osteoporosis is caused when the bone tissue is deteriorating faster than it is being replaced. This means that the bone tissue is no longer capable of rebuilding broken bones, therefore causing pain. A person with osteoporosis who has undergone an x-ray scan will have a visibly lower bone mass than the average. They may also suffer from a number of difficulties, such as heavy breathing, fragile fingernails, or a stooped posture. Continue reading to learn more.
Loss Of Height
As we age, we gradually lose density in our muscles and bones. This may be due to a number of overlapping factors, such as lifestyle, hormonal variations, poor diet, and other age-related concerns. When this happens, we may start to “shrink” over time and lose about a quarter of an inch from our height.
With all of these in mind, an osteoporosis patient may also experience accelerated levels of height loss caused by the disease. This is normally caused by a weakened, collapsed, or compressed spinal structure because of lack of cushioning.
Height loss does not only lead to implications on the appearance, but also on comfort — when the spine is curved unnaturally, the patient may have an increased risk factor for other fractures on the body. Unless already diagnosed and have already consulted with a doctor, these issues can be prevented by maintaining a healthy diet early on, engaging in constant physical activity, and consuming calcium-rich foods.
Awkward Posture
Another tell-tale or early symptom of osteoporosis is an unusually stopped posture. This is a result of bone breakage in the upper region of the spine (the thoracic area), causing stooping or hunching.
To understand the reason for this, it’s crucial that you learn about what happens to the spine during the onset of osteoporosis. This part of the skeletal system is made up of bones called vertebrae. When they break, they will cause a sharp back pain that may be chronic throughout the person’s lifetime. When these breakages happen at a much more frequent rate, they will start to have a curved back or even shrink in stature.
Patients’ experiences with this awkward curve of the spine or “kyphosis” can be extremely painful, while some of them might not be aware that bone loss is already occurring. Nevertheless, any sudden changes in the spine curve should be checked by a licensed doctor, in order to keep one’s internal organs in the correct position.
Difficulty Breathing
Many of the symptoms of osteoporosis are interrelated and may be a cause of another symptom. Difficulty breathing is one of them, and this is due to lack of cushioning or compression in the vertebra, or spinal discs. Coupled with a bent spine and a stooped posture, someone suffering from osteoporosis may find it laborious to simply exhale and inhale through their airways.
Collapsed discs can significantly decrease the capacity of the lungs, because their ribs aren’t able to fully expand when they inhale. It’s also known that there is a relationship between another type of cardiac disease, known as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and osteoporosis. Patients who knowingly or unknowingly endure both of these may continue suffering from shortness of breath.
Brittle Fingernails
Although brittle fingernails are not immediately a cause for concern when it comes to osteoporosis warning signs, it’s still one place to start especially when all other factors have been ruled out.
Both bones and nails contain a type of chemical bonding known as disulphide bonds which attach proteins to one another. Brittle nails therefore means that these bonds have been weakened due to a number of factors — inadequate calcium intake and osteoporosis being the two.
As discussed, osteoporosis can be avoided by making a slew of positive lifestyle changes. If there are no other signs that point to this disease other than brittle fingernails, then a good measure would be to increase calcium intake. For more extreme and critical situations, the best course of action would be to have a licensed physician or osteoporosis specialist to make an assessment of your condition.
Key Takeaway
Osteoporosis causes and symptoms can manifest in different ways. Identifying the presence of this disease may be difficult — as the signs don’t show up until later — but those who are exhibiting them should seek professional help as soon as possible.
Typically, osteoporosis is associated with other risk factors related to diet, lifestyle, level of exercise, hormonal changes, low calcium levels in the body, or physiological variations. This disease can be debilitating and can affect most of a person’s way of life — inability to stand properly, breathe, or simply walk without subtle fractures in the bones.
Are you experiencing these symptoms or do you know someone who does? If you think you are at a heightened risk factor because of your sex, age, or medical background, then you may want to take a health screening at the Perpetual Help Medical Center in Las Piñas. Our Women’s Healthcare and Diagnostic Center can offer you the proper screening solutions for your needs. Click here to contact us or visit our services page for more information.
