Take Care of Your Bones!
by Leslie Askerneese
Don’t wait until it’s too late, care for your bones now! After menopause occurs, many women start to worry about osteoporosis. For some, this might be too late.
Osteoporosis weakens the bones and makes them more prone to break. There are no symptoms and you may not even know you have it until you break a bone. Most likely the bones that are affected are the hips, wrist, and the spine.
To detect osteoporosis, a bone density test can be taken. The test measures your bone density at various sites on your body and can be used over time to monitor bone loss.
Some preventative things you should do to keep your bones strong:
Eat a balanced diet of foods that are rich in calcium and vitamin D
For example- low fat or skim milk, cheese, yogurt, green leafy vegetables (steamed not boiled or raw) salmon and almonds
Exercises regularly
For example- Activities like walking jogging, dancing and lifting weights
Some risk factors for osteoporosis:
• Low bone mass
• Being female
• Being thin and having a small frame
• Low calcium intake over your lifetime
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Physical inactivity
• A history of injuries after age 50
• Family history of osteoporosis
• Being female and having an estrogen deficiency as a result of menopause
• Being male and having low testosterone levels
• Anorexia
• The use of certain medicines such as corticosteroids and anticonvulsants
• Receiving chemotherapy
• Being a smoker
• Using alcohol in excess
• Being Caucasian, Asian, African American and Hispanic
In conclusion, preventive medicine is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Take care of your body and it will take care of you. Peace and blessing to all. Talk with you next month.
Leslie Askerneese Aka The Spa Lady
This column is based upon information received from UPMC for you.
Filed under: Healthy You! Articles