Hello everyone, every year on October 20 is World Osteoporosis Day, I believe that the mention of osteoporosis, we are no strangers, right?

After all, every calcium commercial emphasizes how terrible osteoporosis is.

But osteoporosis can eat calcium tablets alone? How to prevent osteoporosis? How to treat osteoporosis? Today, osteoporosis will give you a clear understanding.

First, learn about our bonesOur bones are like the framework of a building, supporting our body, and in addition to supporting the body and protecting vital organs, bones store minerals such as calcium. Bones are the largest calcium silos in our bodies, where more than 90% of calcium is stored. The outer layer of this framework is a hard shell that encases the inner trabeculae, which are spongy bone tissues. Although spongy, it is not soft like a sponge, but actually hard, but with pores like a sponge.

Osteoporosis is a disease that makes our bones weak. It’s like the column is hollowed out and the bones become weak and fragile. Osteoporosis is important to us because the consequences of osteoporosis are far more frightening than people realize. 2 million osteoporosis-related fractures occur each year, 70% of which occur in women. 20% of older people die within a year of a fracture, and 50% of people lose their ability to live independently.

What are the causes of osteoporosis and why does it favor women? It’s because women’s body hormone levels change a lot around the time of menopause, and the drop in estrogen levels can lead to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is relatively rare in men because men have larger bones. Bone loss starts later in men and is not as rapid. They also do not have significant hormonal changes that correspond to bone loss. In addition to gender, there are many other causes of osteoporosis: thinness, picky eating, lack of sun exposure, smoking, alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, intestinal disorders that interfere with absorption such as gastrectomy, endocrine disorders such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, etc., and kidney disorders such as kidney stones.

Symptoms of osteoporosis will gradually worsen with the loss of bone mass, and you will slowly feel weak, have back pain, hunch back, become shorter, and more seriously, be prone to fracture, which is not easy to heal.

How can we know if we have osteoporosis? This is the time to use the hospital’s instruments. The Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry is the most accurate test available for detecting osteoporosis. This test is based on X-rays and uses minute amounts of radiation to measure bone density. The spine, hip, and wrist are the most commonly tested areas. The procedure is similar to taking an X-ray: you change into a hospital gown, lie down, and a specially trained technician performs the procedure without needles or injections of anything. It takes only 10-15 minutes to measure the bone density of the bones and spine. The patient receives only 1/10th of the radiation of a regular X-ray chest X-ray, and through the examination you can know your own bone density and thus determine whether you have osteoporosis. Those who have the causes of osteoporosis mentioned above can go to the hospital for checkups. In addition, menopausal women, men over the age of 70, and people over the age of 50 who have suffered from bone fractures should have regular checkups.

If you don’t have osteoporosis, then congratulations, if you have decreased bone density or osteoporosis, don’t be afraid to keep listening to me on how to prevent osteoporosis.

Building up as much bone density as possible by the age of 25 to 30 is the best way to prevent osteoporosis in middle and old age. However, at any age, good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle can help prevent osteoporosis or minimize its impact on your life.

First of all, diet, choose a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. Calcium-rich foods include dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yogurt; green vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, seafood, and beans. However, those with hyperuricemia and gout should not eat seafood and eat less beans. For ordinary people, a reasonable combination of daily diet can meet the demand for calcium. For example, 300ml of fresh milk, 200g of greens and 160g of tofu can provide more than 800mg of calcium. Therefore, the diet should be rich in dairy products, and pay attention to the combination of green vegetables and nuts, etc..

The best food sources of vitamin D are eggs, fish. Fatty sea fish such as salmon and herring provide some vitamin D3, and some yeast-fermented foods or plant foods such as mushrooms contain small amounts of vitamin D.2 Supplementation of vitamin D through food is very limited. The main source of vitamin D in the body relies on skin synthesis.

In summer, when the weather is sunny, bare arms, usually half an hour of skin synthesis of vitamin D can meet the body’s needs. So, nothing more sunshine, let the sun to the skin, sunbathing through the glass can not be counted. In the northern winter, less sunshine, many women vitamin D is low. You can measure the level of vitamin D in the blood, and supplement in time when needed. Exercise regularly, at least three to four times a week, each 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise – walking, jogging, weight training, etc., must be for the bones and muscles of the exercise. Swimming is great for cardio, but it doesn’t help prevent osteoporosis. Stop smoking and drinking and keep a regular routine. Prevent falls! Prevent falls! Prevent falls! It’s important to say it three times!