People do not realise that they have osteoporosis until a fracture or a spinal vertebrae collapse occurs. Bone loss can occur gradually over a period of time without any symptoms. Osteoporosis causes bones to become so fragile that they suffer a fracture even after a minor fall or a slight stress. This is why osteoporosis is also referred to as " Silent disease".
Bones are composed of which one of these?
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Bones are made up of mostly collagen and the mineral calcium. Collagen provides the soft framework while calcium provides strength. A combination of these makes the bone both flexible and strong so that it can bear stress.
Porous bones is another medical term for osteoporosis
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Osteoporosis, also known as porous bones, is a bone disease characterised by bone loss or the body's inability to make new bones. The mass and density of bones decrease and the person suffering from it is liable to have more fractures especially of the hip, spine and waist.
How is bone strength measured?
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A bone mineral density test or a BMD uses a low-dose X-ray to determine the amount of calcium and other minerals present in your bones. It is the only test that can diagnose osteoporosis. The most common type of BDM test is a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan.
Lack of calcium causes osteoporosis.
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It is a myth that a lack of calcium can cause bone health to deteriorate, leading to osteoporosis. Calcium is important to the bones but it is not the only mineral that protects bone health. There are 19 additional nutrients that must be present in your body to protect your bones. In fact, the presence of some of these nutrients is necessary just to absorb calcium. Example, Vitamin D is required in order to enable your body to absorb enough calcium from your diet.
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