Decreasing Your Risk For Developing Osteoporosis

If you have blonde hair, blue eyes and a slight build, you may be genetically at a higher risk for developing Post-Menopausal Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis literally stands for “porous bones.” Post-Menopausal Osteoporosis is caused by reduced Estrogen levels due to Menopause. The reduced Estrogen levels lead to an increased rate of bone resorption. When the rate of bone resorption is greater than the rate of bone formation, this leads to Osteoporosis. Women who have Osteoporosis are more at risk for fractures and have a harder time healing if a fracture is incurred.  Common areas for Osteoporotic fractures include the hips and spine.

Even if you are genetically predisposed to Post-Menopausal Osteoporosis due to a family history, light coloring and a slight build, there are some things you can do to decrease your risk of developing this condition and incurring a fracture. One is to refrain from smoking.  Smoking greatly increases your risk of developing Post-Menopausal Osteoporosis. Getting an adequate intake of calcium either from food sources or from supplements is important when you are younger and still building bone mass as well as throughout your life. Participating in weight bearing exercises such as walking running and lifting weights can also help you decrease your risk. Weight bearing exercises cause the bones to become more dense and thus less at risk for fractures. For some women, hormone replacement therapy may be prescribed after Menopause to decrease the risk for Post-Menopausal Osteoporosis.

The best way to determine whether or not you have Osteoporosis and to determine your bone health is to obtain a bone mineral density test using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) technology. If you are at a high risk for developing this disease, your physician may prescribe a bone density test.  For more information about Post-Menopausal Osteoporosis and to assess your risk, talk to a qualified Gynecologist today.