The bones can become weak and brittle with the osteoporosis which means porous bones. You might feel problems even coughing and bending over and lifting anything when you have this problem. The bones can become weak with low levels of calcium, phosphorus and other minerals. The fractures in spine, hip or wrist may occur due to osteoporosis. It can happen in men and women at the same time.

You might feel no pain in the beginning of bone loss but you will have osteoporosis symptoms when bones have become weak by osteoporosis. There can be back pain, loss of weight over time with stooped posture, and fracture of vertebrae.

Causes

The bone size and density are important things for strong bones. The amount of calcium, phosphorus and other mineral determine the bone density. The bones will be less stronger when there is less amount of minerals.

The bone remodeling process

The process of bone making is involved in osteoporosis. The old bones and broken and new bones are made continuously and this process is called remodeling or bone turnover. It take two to three months for full cycle of bone remodeling. The bones are made at faster rate when you are young which increases the bone mass and in mid 30s you can reach your peak bone mass. The bone is lost in women at menopause with drop level of estrogen and it is the major factor of bone loss in women. The osteoporosis depends on the bone mass you have attained between 25 and 35. there can be less chances of developing osteoporosis if you have higher peak bone mass.

What keep bones healthy?

Regular exercise, adequate amount of calcium and vitamin D are the most important factors which can keep your bones healthy throughout your life.

Risk factors

The osteoporosis can be due to number of factors including:

Your sex

The osteoporosis is more common in women than men as bone mass is very low in women which tends to live longer. There can be decrease in estrogen levels at menopause which can accelerate the bone loss. There can be high risk of osteoporosis with slender, small framed women. The osteoporosis can be in men with low level of male hormone testosterone.

Age

There can be high risks of osteoporosis with older age as bones become weak with age.

Race

There can be high risks of osteoporosis if you are white or Southeast Asian descent. There are less but significant risks in Black and Hispanic.

Family history

The osteoporosis may occur in your children if you have this problem and there are greater risks if you have family history of osteoporosis.

Frame size

The risks of osteoporosis can be higher in men and women with thin and small body frames.

Tobacco use

The bones can become weak with the use of tobacco which can lead to the osteoporosis.

Lifetime exposure to estrogen

There can be lower risks of osteoporosis with women’s greater lifetime exposure to estrogen.

Eating disorder

The osteoporosis can be due to bulimia and anorexia in men and women which can be due to eating disorder.

Corticosteroid medications

The bones can be damaged with the long term use of corticosteroid medications like cortisone, prednisone and dexamethasone which can be used for the treatment of chronic conditions like asthma and psoriasis.

Thyroid hormones

The bone loss can be due to too much thyroid hormone and it can occur due to hyperthyroidism or excess amount of thyroid hormone medications.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

There can be SSRI in men and women using antidepressants but it doesn’t mean that bone loss can be due to SSRI.

Other medications

The bone loss can be due to long term use of blood thinning medications, cancer treatment drugs, anti seizure medications and some other medications.

Breast cancer

There can be increased risks of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women who have breast cancer especially if they have used chemotherapy or aromatase inhibitors.

Low calcium intake

The osteoporosis can be due to lack of calcium as lower amount of calcium can contribute to poor bone density and early bone loss.

Sedentary lifestyle

The bone density in children can be higher if thry have adequate amounts of calcium. The weight bearing exercise can also be good as it can increase your bone density.

Excess soda consumption

There can be interference of caffeine with osteoporosis with calcium absorption and mineral loss can be increased with diuretic effect. The bone loss can also be due to changing the acid balance in your blood.

Chronic alcoholism

The osteoporosis can be due to alcoholism in men as it can reduce the bone formation and interferes with the calcium absorption.

Depression

There can be increased rates of bone loss in the people with serious depression.