HIW TO BUILD STRONG BONES

Don’t wait for that dreaded bone-weakening disease to strike. The good news: you can reverse bone losses with diet, exercise and medication. I learnt that when we’re very young, our bones get longer and denser until we reach full height. Even as we grow, our bone tissue is constantly being broken down and rebuilt. Then (in your early 30s if you’re a woman, and at about 40 if you’re a man), your skeleton naturally begins to slowly lose bone faster than your body can replace it and very gradually your bones thin and become less dense as you age.According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, one out of eight men and one out of three women suffer from osteoporosis in India. The Osteoporosis Society of India put the number of patients at about 26 million in 2003, and projects an increase to 36 million by 2013.

Symptoms and Indicators :

• Constant back pain and, less commonly, pain in the chest, hip, wrist and pelvic area.
• Developing a hunched back, or loss of height (due to compression of the spinal column).
• Tendency to suffer fractures after relatively minor falls.
• Amenorrhoea (absence of menstrual periods) is associated with reduced oestrogen levels and, possibly, osteoporosis.
• If your doctor can help you find out if you have high-risk genes for osteoporosis, you may be able to take preventive measures early.

Treatments :
For osteopenia and osteoporosis, doctors focus on medication to slow bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures. They also suggest lifestyle changes. For severe cases and for fractures, surgery could be an option. Being diagnosed with osteopenia left me shaken, yet I was relieved to have identified the cause of my pain and also to know that I could, with a few dietary changes, reverse my condition.