Osteoporosis Specialist

What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a condition that affects the quality and strength of bone. If you have osteoporosis, you could find your bones fracture quite easily. 

Osteoporosis can affect both men and women, but it’s far more likely to affect women. It generally develops with advancing age.

Loss of bone density happens naturally as you get older. It’s a particular problem for women at menopause and afterward, as estrogen levels drop drastically. 

Estrogen is the female sex hormone, and falling levels are the main cause of the changes that happen to your body during menopause, including osteoporosis.

Dr. Rajbhandary provides in-house bone density testing. If you’re 65 or over, you should have a bone density screening test to check for osteoporosis. If you’ve reached menopause and you have higher risk factors for osteoporosis, you should start having regular bone density tests.

What are the risks of developing osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis has two key risk factors: a lack of calcium and a lack of vitamin D in your diet. Other factors that increase your risk of developing osteoporosis include:

• Smoking
• High vitamin A levels
• High salt diet
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Lack of exercise
• Too much caffeine

Some medications can also make you more likely to develop osteoporosis, including antacids if they contain aluminum and you consume them in large quantities. 

People who have autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or lupus also have a higher risk.

What are the symptoms of osteoporosis?

The symptoms of osteoporosis typically take years to develop, and for many of those years, you wouldn’t be aware of any problems. It’s only when the bones weaken so much they start breaking that you realize there’s something wrong.

Your bones can get so fragile when you have osteoporosis that a trip or gentle fall could cause a fracture. Fractures can affect any bones, including the vertebrae that make up your spine. If the vertebrae suffer compression fractures, they often form a wedge shape. 

A series of these wedge fractures can lead to the most obvious sign of osteoporosis – the hunchback known as a dowager’s hump. Osteoporotic fractures might not be too painful in some cases, but for many people, they’re incredibly painful.

How is osteoporosis treated?

Osteoporosis is incurable, but Dr. Rajbhandary can help you manage your condition. Vitamin D and calcium supplements can help slow down deterioration.

Some patients might be suitable for minimally invasive procedures called vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty that restore the height of vertebrae after a compression fracture. Dr. Rajbhandary can refer you to an expert in these procedures if she thinks it could be of benefit.

Making changes to your lifestyle and reducing your risk factors is the best way of preventing osteoporosis. Your prospects are also much better if you identify the disease in its earlier stages.

To arrange your bone density test, call Rheumatology Clinic of DFW, PLLC, today, or book an appointment online.