With the accelerated aging of the population, the incidence of osteoporosis continues to rise, and the prevalence of osteoporosis among people over 50 years of age in China is 19.2%, with about 80 million osteoporosis patients at present. Some studies show that the harm caused by an osteoporotic fracture is comparable to that caused by a stroke or myocardial infarction. The mortality rate in the first year after a fracture is 20% to 25%. Compared with the high incidence and disability rate of osteoporosis, the general public and even some primary care doctors have a vague understanding of osteoporosis, and there are cognitive errors in many concepts. Today, we will share with you the common misconceptions about osteoporosis and the ways to detect osteoporosis, hoping that they can help you.
Misconception 1: Osteoporosis will occur when people get old, and it doesn't need to be taken seriously.
Osteoporosis is not an inevitable result of aging, but a disease that requires scientific treatment and intervention. If postmenopausal women find themselves with symptoms such as bone pain, shortening and weakness, they should consider the possibility of osteoporosis, and should go to the hospital for dual-energy X-ray bone densitometry (DXA) for screening and early diagnosis and treatment.
Myth 2: A fracture is a fall! It has nothing to do with osteoporosis?
Very often, fractures in the elderly are indeed the pot of osteoporosis. Fragility fracture is one of the most serious and common consequences of osteoporosis. Hip fracture is known as the "last fracture of life", and 20% of patients with fragility fracture of the hip will die within one year due to various complications? After the fracture, in addition to orthopedic treatment, patients should also be followed by anti-osteoporosis medication in order to reduce the risk of re-fracture.
Myth 3:Drinking more milk and getting more sunshine can cure osteoporosis
Adequate nutritional intake, calcium and vitamin D supplementation can help improve bone health, but are far from enough to cure the disease. The prevention and treatment of osteoporosis requires comprehensive scientific intervention. If you are diagnosed with the disease, you should use anti-osteoporosis medication as prescribed by your doctor.
How is osteoporosis detected and diagnosed?
Osteoporosis can usually be diagnosed in two steps:
Step 1: Self-testing. The International Osteoporosis Foundation has designed a "One Minute Risk Test" to help people determine if they are a potential candidate for osteoporosis:
1. Have your parents ever had a hip fracture from a minor bump or fall?
2. Have you ever injured your bones in a minor collision or fall?
3. Do you often take hormone drugs such as cortisone and prednisone for more than 3 months in a row?
4. Has your height decreased by 3 centimeters?
5. Do you often drink alcohol excessively? (More than the safe limit)
6. Do you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day?
7. Do you often suffer from dysentery and diarrhea? (caused by celiac disease or enteritis)
8. Ms. Answer: Did you have menopause before the age of 45?
9. Ms. Answer: Have you ever had no menstruation for more than 12 consecutive months? (except during pregnancy)
10. Men: Do you suffer from impotence or lack of libido?
If you answered "yes" to any of the questions, you are at risk of developing osteoporosis and should consult your doctor about the need for further testing or treatment; if you answered "yes" to a significant portion or all of the questions, you may already have osteoporosis. If most or all of your answers are "yes", you may have osteoporosis and need to go to the hospital for further examination.
Step 2: Professional diagnosis - Dual-energy X-ray bone density test.
About 30%-50% of patients with degenerative osteoporosis have no obvious symptoms such as bone pain, muscle pain or low back pain, and the changes in biochemical indicators are not significant. Dual-energy X-ray Bone Densitometry, as the "gold standard" of bone density testing, can diagnose osteoporosis and predict the risk of fracture in a timely manner. Bone density tests need to be performed on a regular basis, with scheduled visits, to determine whether bone loss is occurring in comparison.
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Which department should I visit for osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis doesn't happen suddenly, look out for the warning signs in your life! When osteoporosis develops to a certain stage, symptoms such as low back pain and hunchback will appear, and it is recommended to consult a doctor in time, depending on the situation. At present, some hospitals have opened osteoporosis specialties; if the hospital does not have a specialty clinic, orthopedics, endocrinology, gynecology, geriatrics and other departments can also receive treatment.
Post time: Aug-13-2024