Osteoporosis

Get excellent, personalized care for women's bone health at North Kansas City Hospital. You’ll find experts who not only diagnose and treat all stages of osteoporosis but also give you guidance on preventing osteoporosis — especially since symptoms are hard to recognize in the early stages of the disease.

What’s Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that weakens bones and makes them susceptible to breakage. Some factors increase the risk for developing osteoporosis. In general, women experience joint and bone problems more often than men do. Aging and changes in hormones from menopause also can lead to faster bone loss, which makes bones more likely to break. Nearly half of older women will suffer a broken bone due to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis Symptoms

Osteoporosis symptoms are often “silent,” meaning you may not have any symptoms until the disease advances. Symptoms that occur late in the disease include:

• Bone pain or tenderness
• Fractures after little or no trauma
• Loss of height over time
• Low back pain due to fractures of the spinal bones
• Neck pain due to fractures of the spinal bones
• Stooped posture

Treating Osteoporosis

If you have signs of osteoporosis, you need treatment. Ask your doctor about drug and hormone therapies to help preserve or increase bone mass, along with effective diet and lifestyle changes.

Preventing Osteoporosis

You want to do what you can to protect your bones. Osteoporosis prevention starts early, with growing children and teenagers, as well as all adult women, learning to live and eat well for bone health.

Get Enough Calcium

Calcium is a crucial nutrient for healthy bones. How much calcium you need each day depends on your age and other factors. Talk to your doctor to make sure you’re getting enough calcium. Standard daily calcium needs include:

• 1,500 milligrams for teens
• 1,000 milligrams before menopause
• 1,500 milligrams for people pregnant and breastfeeding
• 1,500 milligrams for women after menopause who are not on hormone replacement therapy

As a guide, one cup of low-fat milk or yogurt has 300 milligrams of calcium.

Additional Osteoporosis Prevention Tips

Along with getting enough calcium, be sure to follow these tips:

• Avoid smoking or vaping since the habit can cause lower bone density.
• Complete 30 minutes each day of weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, dancing, climbing steps or lifting weights to keep your bones and muscles strong.
• Get enough vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium. Good sources of vitamin D are saltwater fish, liver, milk and egg yolks.

Osteoporosis Risk Factors

You might have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis if you:

• Are white or of Asian descent, with a thin or small body frame
• Have a family history of osteoporosis or hip fractures
• Live a sedentary lifestyle and don’t get enough exercise
• Smoke, vape or drink alcohol
• Take certain medications like anticonvulsants, thyroid hormone replacements and corticosteroids.

Talk to your doctor about getting a DEXA scan (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry). A DEXA scan is a bone density test that uses an X-ray to measure the strength and thickness of your bones. This type of screening can confirm your risk of osteoporosis.