It is important to treat osteoporosis before it progresses to a severe stage. Patients who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis are often encouraged to make a lifestyle change.
When patients ask how to treat osteoporosis, the first recommendation often involves converting to a diet rich in calcium and Vitamin D to encourage bone building. Foods for osteoporosis include:
- Milk
- Almond
- Salmon
- Olive Oil
- Soybeans
- Blueberries
Exercising regularly also helps in strengthening bones. In particular, patients should engage in weight-bearing exercises, where you are forced to work against gravity, and your legs support the bulk of your weight. This includes simple exercises like running, walking and climbing up stairs. Such exercises help in building bone density to create strong bones less susceptible to fractures and breakage.
Patients who smoke and drink are also encouraged to reduce their intake or quit entirely.
Further treatment for osteoporosis can also include medication. Most prescribed medication aim to slow the bone breakdown process, thus giving the body more time to rebuild bones at a faster rate than it is broken down. This thus helps in ensuring a healthy bone density level and prevents the likelihood of broken bones and other injuries commonplace in patients with osteoporosis.
Hormones such as estrogen are also sometimes prescribed to patients. Such medication also helps in reducing menopausal symptoms in women, and is also useful in breast cancer prevention. For men and postmenopausal women, Teriparatide is recommended as an alternativeosteoporosis treatment, and is also the only osteoporosis medication that helps rebuild bones and reverse the effects of the condition.
If you suspect you have osteoporosis, book an appointment with your doctor to receive proper diagnosis and prevent the condition from worsening.
References
http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/osteoporosis/4-foods-osteoporosis-prevention
http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/exercise-for-osteoporosis