Life & Work

Dealing with brittle bones

bones

Osteoporosis is a condition whereby the creation of new bone tissue is slow. PHOTO | FILE

Osteoporosis (popularly known as ‘Brittle bones’) is a common phenomenon after the age of 50 years in both genders. It is often called a silent disease because you can’t feel your bones getting weaker. You might not know you have it until you break a bone.

Bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone is not able to keep up with the removal of old bone. New bone formation often slows down as we age.

What are the symptoms?

•Back pain – especially in the lower back.
•Loss of height over time and the development of a stooped (‘bent-over’) posture
•A bone fracture that occurs much more easily than expected (even when you haven’t fallen). They tend to occur in the spine, wrist and hip.

Are you at risk?

Age: Usually occurs after the age of 50 years in both genders - although it tends to be more severe in post-menopausal women.

Race: Although it occurs in all races, you are at greatest risk of osteoporosis if you’re white or of Asian descent.

Body frame: Men and women who have small body frames tend to have a higher risk than large framed individuals.

Dietary factors: People with have low intake of calcium in their diet tend to get weak bones as a result.

Family history: Having a parent or sibling with osteoporosis puts you at greater risk, especially if your mother or father experienced a hip fracture in their old age.

Hormone levels: Too little oestrogen (women) or testosterone (men) predisposes you to brittle bones. In addition, problems with either the thyroid, parathyroid or adrenal glands can give you brittle bones. (Parathyroid glands are tiny glands at the back of the thyroid whilst the adrenals are found on top of the kidney).

Kidney disease: People with damaged kidneys (either from long standing high blood pressure, diabetes or other diseases such as lupus) can develop weak bones.

Eating disorders: People with disorders which cause them to either eat too little (anorexia) or purge after eating (bulimia) are at risk of developing weak bones due to lack of adequate calcium intake. In addition, it can cause hormonal imbalances which contribute to weak bones.

Past surgery: Surgery to either the stomach or intestines can affect the way your body absorbs nutrients like calcium leading to weak bones.

Medication: These include steroids, cancer therapy and drugs used to prevent transplants from being rejected.

Sedentary lifestyle: People who spend a lot of time sitting have a higher risk of osteoporosis than do those who are more active. Remember, if you spend most of your day at the office seated whilst working, you are still considered sedentary (despite all the hard work you are doing!)

Excessive alcohol consumption: Regular consumption of more than two alcoholic drinks a day has been found to weaken your bones.

Smoking: Long term use of tobacco products contributes to weak bones.

What can you eat to get calcium?

Good sources of calcium include:

Dairy (milk) products: It doesn’t matter if it is cow, goat or camel milk. They are all good sources of calcium. You can opt for fat reduced versions if you are worried about the calorie and fat content.

Dark green leafy vegetables such as Sukuma wiki (kales), spinach, terere, managu, mrenda etc.

Fish sources include salmon and omena (chiefly because you eat the fish bones as well - in the case of omena)

Soybean products including soy milk. This is a good option for those who do not take animal products.

Cereal: most cereals on the market have been fortified with minerals and vitamins but you need to read the label to ascertain their contents.

Fruit juices: Some companies fortify their orange juice with calcium. This is, however, not the norm with our local juices.

How about supplements?

If you find it difficult to get enough calcium from your diet, you should consider taking calcium supplements (tablets). In most cases, calcium supplements are well tolerated. However, too much calcium has been linked to heart problems and kidney stones.

They can also cause indigestion and constipation. Some of your regular medication may also interfere with the uptake of the supplement from your digestive tract. You should, therefore, discuss use of supplements with your doctor before starting their use.

Vitamin D (Calcium’s partner)

Vitamin D improves your body’s ability to absorb calcium. Luckily for us, vitamin D is free and is obtained from sunshine. Daily exposure to 10 minutes of sunlight is all that is required for majority of people.

Where does the doctor come in?

In most cases, the doctor is alerted to your osteoporosis after you break a bone or if you have an x-ray (radiograph) for another reason. Usually, the doctor then carries out special tests known as bone mineral density tests and may check your blood levels of calcium and other associated minerals.

If you have osteoporosis then the doctor starts you on medication that reduces bone thinning. Post-menopausal women may also be started on oestrogen replacement therapy as part of their treatment plan.

How can you strengthen your bones?

Eat right: It all starts with what is on your plate. Make a conscious effort to include calcium rich foods in your daily diet.
Lifestyle issues: Stop smoking and excessive alcohol intake.

Exercise: It helps build strong bones and slow bone loss. If you are going to the gym, combine strength training exercises with weight-bearing exercises.

Otherwise, simple exercises such as walking, jogging, running, stair climbing and skipping rope are helpful. Buy a small dumbbell which you can carry and work with as you do this exercises. Gardening is also a good surrogate for conventional exercise.