How does osteoporosis impact your life?

If left untreated, osteoporosis can have a profound impact on day-to-day life.

Fractures of the spine (also known as vertebral fractures) usually occur with little trauma. With osteoporosis, the simple acts of daily life, such as bending over, coughing, or lifting, can be all it takes to collapse a vertebra. In such cases, the bones of the spine aren’t broken in the usual sense of the term. Rather than being snapped, as occurs with a broken arm, spinal vertebrae are compressed in the same way that a paper cup would be flattened when stepped on. These compression fractures may be accompanied by pain but in many instances, fractures of the spine may go unnoticed.

Fractures due to osteoporosis can lead to pain and deformity that get worse over time. One such deformity is an obvious curve in the upper spine or hunchback appearance (also known as kyphosis). Osteoporotic fractures can also impact your self esteem and can make it difficult to get around independently. They can even make simple activities of daily life hard to do without help from others

Hip fractures especially can have severe consequences. Affected individuals often suffer a loss of independence and may require long-term care. Almost 1 out of every 4 women who suffer a hip fracture die within six months because of complications such as pneumonia or a blood clot.

Women break bones because of osteoporosis more often than they have heart attacks, strokes or breast cancer

Having a previous fragility fracture increases the likelihood of having another fracture. Fortunately, fracture risk can be reduced. There are things you can do now to effectively decrease your chance of experiencing a fracture. Click here to learn more.

Click here to read more about how osteoporosis can affect your life. Bone Matters with Dr. Marla Shapiro is an exclusive column to HealthandBone.ca