When you think about staying healthy,
you probably think about making lifestyle
changes to avoid life-threatening conditions
like cancer and heart disease. Keeping your
bones healthy to prevent osteoporosis is
probably not at the top of your wellness list.
After all, breaking a bone might strike you as
painful and inconvenient, but not necessarily
as dangerous.
If your thinking runs along these lines, the
following facts might make you think again:
Fact_1
The problem with osteoporosis isn’t just that it causes broken bones. The
problem is that when you’re older, breaking a bone is serious. It often
starts a downward spiral of pain, disability, deformity, and the loss of
independence.
Fact_2
Osteoporosis is a disease you can do something about. It can be prevented, detected, and treated.
The U.S. Surgeon General reports that half of all women older
than 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis. One in four
men will, too. And breaking a bone when you’re older is serious. It
leads to immobility, which in turn can lead to isolation, depression,
and other health problems. Twenty percent of seniors who break a
hip will die within one year. Many of those who survive will need
long-term nursing home care.
At Lighthouse Family Medicine we offer universal sceening at age 50 on an annual basis for osteoporosis to track your bone health. Women are used to this concept, but men may need convincing: thus we have introduced our "do it for three of your buddies" campaign created by Dr. Kenneth LeCroy.