Osteoporosis is a very common bone disease that causes your bones to weaken over time. This disease can cause the bones in areas such as the spine, hip or wrist to fracture or break easily. People with osteoporosis could fracture these bones from a simple fall or in some cases a sneeze or a cough.
Although osteoporosis is a common disease, the good news is that it can be prevented and treated. To treat osteoporosis doctors may recommend one of the following:
Supplements
Calcium supplements are simple to add to your diet, often inexpensive and are well tolerated by the body. AlgaeCal natural calcium supplements are a great choice as not only are they high in calcium but they also include other vitamins and minerals that will improve the health of your bones. Calcium supplements have been known to cause slight constipation. If this is something you experience drinking more water and eating foods that are rich in fibre should help you to avoid this.
Diet
A healthy, balanced, nutritious diet which includes calcium and vitamin D. Foods that are high in calcium include dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurts. Leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale are also known for their calcium content. In order to up your intake of vitamin D, you should look at adding more fatty fish such as tuna, mackerel or salmon into your diet.
Medication
Your doctor may prescribe medication to treat osteoporosis. Estrogen can sometimes be helpful in treating or preventing osteoporosis in women. If this is prescribed, it should be discussed with a gynaecologist and treatment should be closely monitored. Hormone replacement therapy has several benefits but may also have several serious side effects that you should look out for.
Some prescription medications help calcium get into new bone. Such medications are most commonly prescribed in the form of nasal spray.
Other medications are available that help slow down bone loss. There are also other medications that can be given by IV and are taken less regularly than oral medication. These types of medications have been shown to increase bone density and decrease the chances of future fractures. These medications do have some side effects. The most bothersome side effect is severe heartburn and stomach upset. This is usually caused by inflammation in the esophagus.
There are some techniques that have been known to decrease the symptoms of heartburn or stomach upset that are related to these types of medication. These include taking the medication on an empty stomach with a large glass of water or ensuring you stand upright for at least an hour after taking the medication.
If you feel that medication may be the best course of action to treating osteoporosis, then you should speak to your doctor. They will give you information about different treatments and help you decide which medication (or combination of medication) may be best suited to you.
Hopefully the above information has helped you to understand the treatment of this condition. Because of newly discovered side effects of osteoporosis medications, as well as the development of new medications, the treatment of this disease is always being refined. This is why it is extremely important to review the medications you might be taking to treat your osteoporosis with your doctor at least once a year, if not more frequently. Always report to your doctor any health problems that you may have as they could be related to newly discovered side effects to the medication you are taking.