Osteoporosis is a bone-related medical condition common for seniors. However, there are younger individuals who suffer from osteoporosis too.
As it hits the bone, osteoporosis will cause the bone strength to decrease. Bone strength is the measurement of your bone quality and density. Osteoporosis can also make an individual easily susceptible to fractures.
As a provider of senior care services in Texas, we encourage seniors who are at risk of osteoporosis to get a checkup. After all, osteoporosis can be treated as long as the said condition can be detected early. What are those risk factors anyway? Here are the five natural risk factors of osteoporosis everyone should know about.
- Gender
Women are more likely to develop osteoporosis. This is because their bones are smaller. Their menopause hormones affect how their body changes as they age too. The speed at which the bones lose mass quickens when menopause hormones are present in the body. Men can also develop osteoporosis though if they have other risk factors for the said condition. - Age
Seniors lose bone mass the older they get. Thus, age is also one of the risk factors of osteoporosis. After the age of 40, the bones naturally weaken. The older one gets, the weaker the bones become. For this reason, seniors may benefit from having personal care providers to assist them as they age. - Ethnicity
One’s ethnicity affects the risk of osteoporosis. For example, Caucasian women are at a higher risk of developing this bone-related condition compared to American women. If you go into biology, Caucasian women have naturally lower bone density. - Family history
Look into a senior’s family history. One’s family history can determine whether they are at risk of osteoporosis. Genes tend to play a role in developing this medical condition since they tend to run in the family. - History of fractures
Did the senior suffer a fracture before? Seniors who have experienced fractures before should be especially careful not to fall. After all, they are highly likely to suffer fractures again as they grow older. The risk of recurrence is higher for seniors who had a fracture before.
Other Risk Factors
These are the natural risk factors of osteoporosis. You can’t do anything about these risks. While that may be so, osteoporosis also has other risks that you can do something about. Some other risk factors of osteoporosis include:
- Lack of calcium and vitamin D
- Less to no physical activity
- Excessive drinking and smoking
Eat foods with lots of calcium and vitamin D. Exercise on a daily basis. Gradually stop drinking alcohol and smoking. If you can’t stop, drink moderately. Doing these things can not only prevent osteoporosis but other diseases as well.
Above & Beyond Assisted Living, a provider of assisted living services in Conroe, Texas, can assist seniors with osteoporosis. Let us know if you need our help. Send us your questions about senior care, assisted living, or caregiving.
