It is National Osteoporosis Month, that time of year when organizations get together to bring attention to a problem affecting millions of Americans. While a healthy diet, exercise, vitamin D, and calcium can help prevent osteoporosis, there are, thankfully, many different treatment plans to help sufferers.
Hormone Treatment
For women struggling with osteoporosis, hormone treatment can be a way for them to help build bone mass and slow the rate of bone thinning. Hormone treatment includes estrogen with or without progesterone. Estrogen hormone treatment can only be taken by women who have had a hysterectomy, as it can lead to cancer in the uterus.
For men, there are some studies which have shown that taking testosterone can help prevent osteoporosis, but it has not been approved by the FDA for this purpose.
There have been many recent studies showing that hormone replacement therapy can lead to a wide variety of problems from cancer to heart disease. The risks should be explored with your doctor when discussing possible courses of treatment. Many opt not to use hormone replacement as a viable treatment method because of the risks.
Medical Treatment
Prolia – For women who have reached menopause, Prolia is an option. The patient receives an injection every six months.
Calcimar – This is a nose spray that can be taken by both men and women that helps with the calcium levels in the body. It can be a way to prevent bone thinning.
Raloxifene – For women, it is an estrogen receptor modulator. It can help build up bone as well as prevent further thinning. Also found in salmon, this natural hormone can also cause skin rashes and nausea.
Forteo – This is a relatively new medicine shown to help significantly build new bone mass. It is an injection that must be administered daily. Side effects can be dizziness and cramping.
While medicine can be an important part of preventing further progression of osteoporosis (and avoiding items, such as knee braces, there is no doubt that a balanced diet, exercise, and a steady amount of vitamin D are important in most courses of treatment.
Also consider reducing alcohol and caffine consumption. Both can aggravate the condition.
Beware of taking too much calcium. While you need to be taking enough to help prevent bone thinning, too much calcium can lead to other problems, and it doesn’t help treating problems.
Make the pledge this National Osteoporosis Month to make the lifestyle changes necessary to keep your bones healthy.
Tweet This Post