Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis

What is Osteoporosis?

The bones that make up our skeleton are made of a thick outer shell and a strong inner mesh-like honeycomb comprised of tiny struts of bone.

In osteoporosis some of these struts become thin, and this in turn makes the bone more fragile and liable to break after even a minor knock or fall. The wrist, the hips and the spine are the most commonly affected sites.

A bit about your bones 

The bones that make up our skeletons stop lengthwise growth as we reach between16 and 18 years of age, but the actual bone density continues to increase gradually until we are in our mid 20s. 

At this point the balance between bone demolition and subsequent bone construction stays stable. After the age of 35, bone loss increases very gradually over the subsequent years as a normal part of the natural ageing process. This bone loss does become more rapid in women for several years after they have gone through the menopause and this can lead to osteoporosis and an increased risk of broken bones, not immediately but more commonly in later life.

What are the effects of osteoporosis?

Having osteoporosis does not automatically mean that your bones will break easily or regularly; it simply means that you are at a ‘greater risk of fracture’. Thin, fragile bones are not painful in themselves, but the broken bones that can result, can obviously cause pain and other problem. Osteoporosis does not generally slow or stop the healing process if there is a break. Bones that have broken because of osteoporosis will still heal in the same way as they do in people who do not have the condition, and this healing will usually take about six to eight weeks.

So which parts of the body are most commonly affected?

Wrists

Broken wrists can often be the first indication that a patient has osteoporosis.  Where healthy bones should normally be able to withstand a fall from standing height, bones affected by osteoporosis will break and in these circumstances this will be categorised as a fragility fracture.

Hips

Hips broken because of osteoporosis occur most commonly in the late 70s or 80s age group.  Again they happen as a result of a fall and can have a big impact on all aspects of life. Making a full recovery is always possible but may be more problematic depending on how well someone was before the broken hip occurred.

Spinal bones 

Fractures due to osteoporosis of the bones in the spine usually occur in the lower back or upper area of the spine. In this type of fracture the bones become squashed together or compressed because of their reduced strength.  A ‘compression fracture’ is a good way of describing what happens in this type of injury.

These fractures do not interfere with the spinal cord.  They rarely result in paralysis or loss of sensation. Although the bones in the back may heal they will not return to their previous shape and that can mean loss of height or curvature of the spine.

Can osteoporosis be prevented? 

Our genes decide the potential height and strength of our skeleton but our lifestyle can also play a part in the amount of bone we invest in our bone ‘bank’ during our early years and how much we have ‘saved’ in later life.

From childhood, through to early adulthood, when the skeleton is still growing, it is vitally important to maximise our bone strength by ‘banking’ plenty of bone over these years.  The skeleton will then be in a better position to hold out against the natural bone loss later in life.  The best way to do this is by taking plenty of weight bearing exercise and eating a well balanced, calcium-rich diet.

Can we prevent  ‘fragility fractures’?

The fact is that the older we get, the greater our risk of breaking a bone.  Falling is much more common in older people because of poor balance and co-ordination and that in turn leads to a higher risk of breaking a hip. Lifestyle changes and keeping active can help to improve balance and prevent falling and there are drug treatments for those at highest risk of fracture.

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and only intended as additional information to your general knowledge and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. So please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio

World Health No Tobacco Day May 31st 2013

World Health No Tobacco Day May 31^st 2013

Every year, on the 31^st of May, WHO and partners mark World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco kills nearly six million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. The theme of this year’s campaign is "Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship".

Tobacco is the only legally available consumer product, which kills people when it is used as it is meant to be. Every year, around 114,000 smokers in the UK die as a result of their habit and despite it being illegal to sell cigarettes to anyone below the age of 16 about 450 children start smoking every day. About half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their habit with smoking causing about thirty per cent of all cancer deaths, 17% of all heart disease deaths and at least 80% of deaths from bronchitis and emphysema. So what is actually in a cigarette? Firstly nicotine which is highly addictive. It stimulates the central nervous system, increasing the heartbeat rate and blood pressure. Then there’s tar brown and treacly in appearance deposited in the lungs and respiratory system and gradually absorbed. And Carbon Monoxide binds to haemoglobin in the bloodstream more easily than oxygen does making the blood carry less oxygen round the body. A pretty grim picture. So after years of abuse is it worth giving up? It certainly is. Your risk of developing lung cancer will be reduced as will your risk of heart disease (in ten years to no more than a non smoker). The accelerated decline of lung function will be reduced and your reproductive health as well as your general health and ability to recover from surgery will improve.

Figures have shown that banning smoking in pubs and in many public places has had an effect as has the ever-increasing rise in the price of cigarettes.   The latest initiative is to stop having cigarettes on open display and instead have them locked away and brought out only when requested and that will no doubt also help.

As a reformed smoker I know how difficult it is to give up.  But boy am I glad I did.   The sad little groups of smokers outside offices and other buildings and the fact that outside spaces at pubs have almost been completely colonized by smokers and their discarded fag butts are argument enough.   It is getting tougher and tougher to smoke anywhere and if anyone does light up in a place where they are not supposed to they are all but lynched!

There is nothing good about smoking – at all!  It is a sure fire way to wreck your health and keep your wallet empty.  On this month’s World No Tobacco Day why not have another go at giving up the weed?  There are many more aids that really do help and in a lot of ways that really do succeed in helping smokers quit and regain control of their health and their money.  

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and are only intended as additional information to your general knowledge and not as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. So please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio

Alcohol - More Harmful to Society than Drugs.

Alcohol - More Harmful to Society than Drugs.

An interesting piece appeared a while back  in the Daily Mail.  In it Katherine Faulkner reported that scientists had found that alcohol is the most harmful drug overall and was in fact three times as harmful as cocaine and tobacco, according to a new scale that rates drug harm and the damage it does to both users and to wider society.

The study said that if drugs were classified on the basis of the harm they do, alcohol would be class A, alongside heroin and crack cocaine.

The findings of the study, published in the Lancet showed that overall alcohol scored 72 out of a maximum ‘harm’ score of 100, compared to 55 for heroin and 54 for crack cocaine.

And while the most dangerous drugs to individual users were judged to be heroin, crack cocaine and then crystal meth - alcohol was deemed most harmful to society, followed by heroin and then crack.

Many of us will know someone whose life has been wrecked by alcohol.  There is the sterotypical domestic violence scenario with a boozed up man attacking his wife, drink-fuelled problems on the street and the tragic death toll on our roads from drink drivers.  All of a sudden it is looking like we could agree with the Professor.  And a big part of the problem with alcohol is that it is legal. 

If you wanted to take crack cocaine you certainly could not stroll down the street and enjoy it in public with friends in the same way as you could order a drink in a bar.  So what is wrong with alcohol?  What does overuse of alcohol do to our bodies? 

Well there are the chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis (damage to liver cells); pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas); various cancers, including liver, mouth, throat, larynx, and esophagus; high blood pressure; and psychological disorders. Then there is the incidence of  unintentional injuries, such as motor-vehicle traffic crashes, falls, drowning, burns and firearm injuries.  Alcohol can lead to violence, such as child abuse, homicide, and suicide.  And alcohol is well known to have the ptotential to harm a developing foetus if a woman drinks while pregnant, with many well recorded foetal alcohol sepctrum disorders. 

Alcohol abuse or dependence leads people to live lives that are dominated by drink They lose their jobs lie and steal, they lose their persecptive on life and due to the effect of alcohol on the skin and on many aspects of their health, they age very rapidly. The effects on the families and on the lives of alcoholics cannot be understated.  It can and does cause broken marriages, lost jobs and ruined lives. 

With alcohol all around us every day, what makes some of us drink too much and others manage to keep their drinking within normal limits?   There is a lot of debate around whether we can have a natural disposition to do things to excess, (an addictive personality) or whether the environment we are brought up in or find ourselves living in is to blame.

Whatever the reason that a person starts to drink, if he or she cannot stop, or finds that drinking has taken over their life, then one thing we are aware of is that it is going to be a life long struggle.   I heard one alcoholic speaking recently on the radio about his addiction.  He was asked if, having stopped drinking some 2 years before, he was now no longer considered an alcoholic.  He replied that he would always be and alcoholic.  He said that he was aware that he could easily relapse and he was ready to meet that challenge head on if it happened.  This is undoubtedly the best way to go.  With any addiction thinking that because you have stopped for a while means the battle is over and the war is won may be unwise.  Keeping your guard up, being vigilant and getting support gives by far the best chance of success in beating any addiction. 

The days of treating Alcohol as a sort of grown up treat are over I am afraid.  Like heroin and crack cocaine, alcohol is a drug and as such it needs to be treated with respect. 

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge.  It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio