Undoubtedly, osteoporosis and menopause are strictly connected with each another. It concerns mostly elderly women. First of all, osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures. Secondly, it can lead to loss of height. This disease usually appears suddenly, without warning. Osteoporosis is very common for women– over 51 million American women over the age of 45 are at risk.
Before we understand the connection between osteoporosis and menopause, we must exactly know what happens to a women’s body during the menopause. Menopause is “the occurrence of the last spontaneous menstrual period, resulting from the loss of ovarian function.”
In the period of menopause women experience various fluctuations in a menstrual cycle and changes in their hormonal levels. The most common symptoms are hot flashes and night sweats. They appear in the early stages of loss of estrogen- a female hormone ensuring strong bones.
But other symptoms may also appear: depression, insomnia, irritability and mood swings. But in the long run loss of estrogen means loss of calcium from the bones, which results in weak and brittle bones. Therefore, the bones are likely to break or fracture.
In the first 5 – 7 years of menopause many women encounter a sudden bone loss leading to osteoporosis. As estrogen levels decrease4 considerably, bone loss is accelerated. According to estimates, women may lose even 10% of bone mass in the first stages of menopause. So if a woman does not achieve the ideal bone mass before menopause, then she is likely to develop osteoporosis.
As we can see, osteoporosis and menopause are connected with one another. Together with traditional risk factors such as age and a small frame, women belong to a high risk category to develop osteoporosis. Particularly, women of Caucasian or Asian race face a greater risk of suffering from this disease.
Hormone Replacement Therapy to reduce Osteoporosis
In order to fight successfully with osteoporosis, hormone replacement therapy is commonly used. Estrogen Replacement Therapy must be initiated as soon as menopause is over, due to the fact that it is estimated that women lose 10% of bone mass yearly without estrogen.
Women are being given low estrogen doses. It must be combined with changes in lifestyle such as healthy eating, increased physical activity and giving up smoking. These doses have been proved to provide great benefits to women in treating osteoporosis, as they slow down and the loss of bone mass.
It is also necessary for women to increase the calcium intake, by including plenty of calcium rich foods in their diets, such as dairy products. Calcium supplements should also be recommended by the physicians. Vitamin D boosts the absorption of calcium in the body.
A good way of getting Vitamin D is a glass of Vitamin D fortified milk. Vitamin supplements should also be taken, because ordinary women aged 51-70 need 400 units of Vitamin D daily. Direct exposure to sunlight, egg yolks, saltwater fish and liver are good sources of vitamin D.
Another way to slow down the onset of osteoporosis is to exercise regularly. Walking, swimming, jogging and light aerobic workouts are all great ways to exercise the body, without damaging their bones. You may talk to your doctor about the available drugs that prevent loss of bone mass.
