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Home | Disease & Illness | Skin Cancer Who is Prone to Osteoporosis? Some men are at risk of developing osteoporosis, but the disease is most often found in women. Women over the age of forty are most likely to develop the disease, following the onset of menopause. Women naturally produce less estrogen during and after menopause, and because estrogen helps our bodies to retain calcium, it is instrumental in keeping bones strong. It's important for women to supplement their calcium intake in order to retain their bone density during, and after, menopause. While males may also be affected by osteoporosis, the number of men afflicted with the condition is found at a much lower rate than women. The reason for this is that men tend to have more bone mass than women. Even so, the natural aging process can cause osteoporosis to develop in men, as well as women. If you are a woman of menopausal age, you are in the greatest risk group for developing osteoporosis. Caucasian females appear face a greater risk. Individuals with reduced muscular activity are also prone to osteoporosis. Weight can also be a contributing factor, so those who are underweight, including women with eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, may find themselves at greater risk of developing the disease. Family history is another known factor. If osteoporosis runs in your family, you should be making healthy lifestyle changes today to protect you from developing the disease. Diagnosing Osteoporosis Early diagnosis and subsequent preliminary treatments can be tricky, because many people don't realize they have osteoporosis until they suffer from some kind of injury. It's not unusual for patients to suffer from a bone fracture before they even realize that they have the disease. Thanks to changes in modern women's health care, however, it is becoming easier to detect the disease in its early stages. With early diagnosis, doctors may even be able to prevent osteoporosis occurring. Doctors can take advantage of new advances in bone scanning to test a patient's bone density. Early detection and preliminary treatment can slow the progress of osteoporosis, or stop the disease before too much damage is done. There are steps that you can take if you feel that you are at risk for developing osteoporosis. The first and most important step is to discuss your concerns and symptoms with your doctor or healthcare professional. He or she will take a full medical history, and will ask you to undergo a complete a physical exam. If you appear to be at risk for this condition, your doctor should order a blood test analysis to check your calcium levels, assess your thyroid level, and rule out other forms of arthritis. He or she may also take X-rays to view your bone density. This is done through a special machine called a bone densitometer, which actually allows the experts to see inside your bones. This is a painless yet accurate way for doctors to measure your bone density, and it can help your doctor to determine whether you may be at risk for developing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is one of the most common forms of arthritis affecting patients in the United States. Fortunately, increased education and public attention has led to a greater awareness of this potentially crippling condition. Today, more than ever before, women are able to fully understand the importance of preventing osteoporosis, and enjoy access to the best possible treatment options. Article Source: http://www.articlewheel.com
Sheila Ffloyd writes for a variety of popular web sites, on healthy choice and healthy body topics.
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