By Nyesha Stone
Dr. Robert Blank (Photo provided by Dr. Robert Blank)
It’s no secret that older people are prone to breaking their bones, but what isn’t widely known is that women are more likely to experience broken bones than men.
Along with bringing awareness to mental health, the month of May is also dedicated to bringing awareness to Osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a condition when the bones become weak and brittle, and nearly eight million women in the U.S. over the age of 50 are affected by it, according to www.BoneNews.com.
Even if you’re young and you fall, and experience pain Dr. Robert Blank, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition, said you may be having issues with your bones. He recommends going to get checked out because it could affect you in the future.
“If you just fall down and break something that’s a problem,” said Dr. Blank. “That means there’s a weakness in your bones.”
Although May focuses on Osteoporosis in both sexes, Dr. Robert Blank used the month of May to bring awareness to Postmenopausal Osteoporosis, which solely focuses on women.
“Men can get it (osteoporosis), they just don’t get it a lot,” said Dr. Blank.
Postmenopausal Osteoporosis refers to women who no longer menstruate. Estrogen helps women’s bodies regulate the bone remodeling process, however after menopause the levels of estrogen in the female body declines. Due to this decline, women tend to lose bones quicker than men, according to Dr. Blank.
He says there is a list of things women, and men can do to decrease their chances of getting Osteoporosis.
Exercise to strengthen the bones just in case of a fall. Make sure you have good vision so you’re less likely to run into things and fall. Learn the art of balance so it’s not so easy for you to fall. And, diet because a healthy body is always a good thing.
Many people think falling it isn’t a big deal, but with big falls come big injuries. For example, Dr. Blank said one out of four people who fall and break their hip is likely to die at least a year later from complications.
Although, there are treatments available such as physical therapy. There are also two common medications that help with Osteoporosis: antiresorptive drugs and anabolic drugs.
Antiresorptive helps to “restore skeletal balance by reducing bone turnover, primarily at the tissue level,” according to Webster dictionary. And, anabolic drugs have been shown to build new bones and is a preferred method to use, but insurance affects which medications patients receive, according to Dr. Blank.
But, no matter what age you are, it’s best to get your bones checked after a serious fall.
To find out more information on Osteoporosis and other bone-related topics visit www.BoneNews.com.