9 effective ways to prevent osteoporosis, avoid dangerous complications

21.02.23 224

Osteoporosis brings people a lot of fatigue, trouble and discomfort in daily life, especially for the elderly. Therefore, the application of preventive measures for osteoporosis is really necessary to minimize dangerous complications later. Read the following article of Solife to better understand the ways to prevent osteoporosis.

1. Who is at risk for osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis can occur in both men and women, especially those over the age of 50. However, there are still cases of the disease appearing in young people due to a number of reasons. In general, people at high risk for osteoporosis include:

  • Group of people with endocrine diseases such as: hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism, diabetes,….
  • Women in the menopause
  • The group of patients who are being treated for other diseases that require not to leave the hospital bed for too long will have a very high risk of osteoporosis.
  • People with chronic bone and joint diseases
  • Some patients have severe kidney disease, chronic kidney failure, or the use of an artificial kidney.
  • Patients who are being treated for other diseases with long-term use of corticosteroids, anti-epileptic drugs, antidiabetic drugs, etc.
  • People who often smoke and drink alcohol

How to prevent osteoporosis effectively

Risk of osteoporosis

2. How to diagnose osteoporosis

Because osteoporosis can appear in so many different people, it is important to learn how to prevent osteoporosis early. Currently, with extremely developed medicine, osteoporosis can be diagnosed by methods such as:

  • DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) method: a method of taking dual energy absorptive X-rays. This method is non-invasive, fairly simple, and quick to perform.
  • X-ray to measure bone density in the femoral neck or arm, the lumbar spine;
  • Bone density scan (DEXA, DXA): this technique is performed using X-rays to measure bone loss in a patient;
  • Blood and urine tests: screening for osteoporosis risk;
  • Ultrasound, iliac crest biopsy, radioisotope, clinical biochemistry, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),…

Read more: Signs of calcium loss you should notice

3. How is osteoporosis treated?

Treatment of osteoporosis with nutrition/lifestyle

  • Diet: Patients should supplement calcium-rich foods according to the body’s needs and avoid drinking alcohol and smoking. In addition, people with this disease should also control their weight well, avoid being overweight or underweight.
  • Lifestyle: People with osteoporosis should exercise regularly to increase muscle flexibility. Patients also need to be careful in their activities to prevent falls.

Treatment of osteoporosis

Exercise regularly

Treatment of osteoporosis with medicine

When treating osteoporosis, patients need to add enough calcium about 1,000 – 1,200 mg / day and the amount of vitamin D needed about 800 – 1000 IU / day for the body. In addition, the doctor may prescribe the patient to use additional anti-osteoporotic drugs such as:

  • Alendronate (1 tablet/week).
  • Zoledronic acid is given intravenously at a dose of 5mg/100ml per year.
  • Calcitonin is usually prescribed for patients with fractures or pain due to osteoporosis, the dose is 50-100 IU/day.
  • Selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), Raloxifene (Evista), dose 60 mg/day.

Other classes of drugs commonly used in the treatment of osteoporosis include:

  • Strontium ranelate (Protelos): A drug that strengthens bone formation, inhibits bone resorption.
  • Deca-Durabolin and Durabolin: Drugs that help increase anabolic processes.

Treatment of complications of osteoporosis

Complications from osteoporosis can cause pain or fracture depending on the extent of the disease. To treat complications, it is necessary to use a variety of methods such as:

  • ain treatment: Treatment is based on the World Health Organization (WHO) analgesic ladder in combination with Calcitonin.
  • Fracture treatment: The doctor will apply treatment methods such as wearing a brace, injecting cement into the vertebral body, replacing artificial vertebrae. In some cases, the doctor may consider bone replacement surgery or joint replacement if indicated.

Long-term osteoporosis treatment

In order to improve the effectiveness of treatment, people with osteoporosis need to carry out long-term treatment such as:

  • Monitor and adhere well to the doctor’s instructions throughout the treatment.
  • Recheck bone density periodically to assess treatment results.
  • Long-term treatment for about 3-5 years, after that, the doctor will need to re-evaluate the disease condition to give the next treatment direction.

Read more:

4. How to prevent osteoporosis?

Once the causes of osteoporosis have been identified, you need to note some ways to prevent osteoporosis as follows:

How to prevent osteoporosis

Supplement calcium for the body

  • Supplement the body with adequate nutrients, especially calcium and vitamin D.
  • Consult your doctor for advice on suitable supplements.
  • Measure osteoporosis to check and detect signs of osteoporosis early.
  • Regular exercise with suitable intensity to build a strong bone system, increase muscle flexibility, especially for the elderly.
  • Do not smoke, abuse alcohol and stimulants to avoid harm to bones and joints.
  • When the body appears musculoskeletal problems (bone pain, muscle pain, frequent cramps …), you should go to the hospital for examination and treatment promptly.
  • Avoid overusing pain relievers and anti-osteoarthritis drugs, especially corticosteroids.
  • Be cautious when living and working to avoid unfortunate accidents.

Conclusion

Over the years, the aging of the musculoskeletal system is something that the body is very difficult to avoid. However, you can still slow down the progress of osteoporosis through diet, activities and ways to prevent osteoporosis mentioned in the article. In addition, as soon as signs of osteoporosis are detected, patients should go to the hospital for examination, diagnosis and timely intervention measures to prevent dangerous complications.

Reference:

https://tamanhhospital.vn/loang-xuong/#:~:text=Khi%20%C4%91i%E1%BB%81u%20tr%E1%BB%8B%20lo%C3%A3ng%20x%C6%B0%C6%A1ng,(1%20vi%C3%AAn%2Ftu%E1%BA%A7n) 

https://medlatec.vn/tin-tuc/dieu-tri-loang-xuong-the-nao-cho-hieu-qua-va-cach-phong-tranh-s68-n26317 

https://medlatec.vn/tin-tuc/cac-phuong-phap-chan-doan-benh-loang-xuong-hieu-qua-nhat-s68-n26323

https://medlatec.vn/tin-tuc/phuong-phap-chan-doan-benh-loang-xuong-hieu-qua-s68-n27024

https://medlatec.vn/tin-tuc/ai-co-the-la-doi-tuong-co-nguy-co-mac-loang-xuong-s68-n23100

https://vinmec.com/vi/co-xuong-khop/suc-khoe-thuong-thuc/loang-xuong-dien-bien-am-hau-qua-nang-ne/

Trần Hoàng Uyên (Senior Manager Pharmaceutical company) là chuyên gia cấp cao với nhiều năm kinh nghiệm trong lĩnh vực dược phẩm. Tốt nghiệp cử nhân chuyên ngành Quản lý dược I tại Trường Đại học Y dược TP. Hồ Chí Minh và hiện đang công tác tại công ty dược phẩm. Với hơn 10 năm kinh nghiệm làm việc trong ngành dược, chị Hoàng Uyên là chuyên gia cộng tác tham vấn y khoa cho danh mục blog cũng như các nội dung liên quan trên Solife. (Tran Hoang Uyen (Senior Manager Pharmaceutical company) is a senior specialist with many years of experience in the Pharmaceutical field. She graduated Bachelor of Pharmacy Management I at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City and is currently working for a pharmaceutical company. With more than 10 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical industry, Ms. Hoang Uyen is a medical consultant collaborator for content on Solife's website.)