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Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when there is too little bone or when the body produces too little bone. The word is derived from the terms ‘osteo’ which means ‘bone’ and ‘porosis’ which means porous. Compared to normal bones, the spongy bone has more holes or pores, weakening the structural integrity of the skeleton. Bone cels called Osteoclasts, break down bone tissue and Osteoblasts build bone using minerals such as Calcium and Phosphate. Hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone help to keep the number and activity of Osteoblast high. 


There are 2 types of osteoporosis. Primary Osteoporosis is due to old age when Osteoclasts remove more bone than Osteoblast make. This usually happens after the age of 30 when adults reach their ‘peak bone mass’. Secondary Osteoporosis affects both children and adults and mainly stem from cancer, hormonal imbalances or certain use of medications.


In severe cases, bones may become too weak to support the rest of the human body and is unable to hold the weight. It is so severe that one can get fractured even from the impact of a strong sneeze or cough.


Osteoporosis mainly stems from a lack of life-long calcium intake. This can lead to diminished bone density, increased risk of fractures and bone loss from and early age.


https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351968

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441901/

https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/tests/bone-mineral-density-test

https://www.physio-pedia.com/Osteoporotic_Vertebral_Fractures

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