Causes of Osteoporosis
Sadly, anyone who had a poor diet growing up, either because of poverty or poor eating habits, may not have gotten enough calcium and other minerals to build strong bones.
Sometimes, having too much of something in your diet can harm your bones. (Everything in moderation; that's the lesson to learn from this.) You should monitor your intake of:
- Protein: Yes, you should get the right amount of protein; however, too much protein can actually make you lose calcium.
- Caffeine: Too much caffeine limits how well your body absorbs calcium.
- Exercise: A good workout routine will strengthen your bones, and you should have a mix of weight-bearing exercise (e.g., walking) and strengthening exercises (e.g., weight lifting). However, if you don't exercise, your bones become weaker and osteoporosis can develop.
- Smoking: Smoking can increase your chances for getting osteoporosis in a few ways—the chemicals make it harder for your body to use calcium, plus they make it harder for estrogen to do one of its jobs and protect your bones.
- Alcohol: A lot of alcohol—abusing it—can lower your calcium supply and how efficiently your body uses calcium.
Osteoporosis can be caused by a medical condition or medication, and that's called secondary osteoporosis.
Medical conditions that can lead to osteoporosis (not an exhaustive list):
- Intestinal problems: These can interfere with absorption of calcium and vitamin D, which makes it harder for your body to regenerate bones. Inflammatory Bowel Disease is an example.
- Kidney problems: Kidney issues can cause calcium loss, upsetting the balance of bone loss and growth.
- Thyroid problems: Hyperparathyroidism causes your body to create too much parathyroid hormone (PTH), and that leads to bone loss.
Hyperthyroidism puts too much of the thyroid hormone in your body, potentially weakening your bones.
- Nutrient absorption problems: People with celiac disease have trouble absorbing nutrients like calcium and vitamin D, and without those, it's harder to maintain health bones.
Medications that can lead to osteoporosis (not an exhaustive list):
- Antacids with aluminum
- Certain anti-convulsants or anti-seizure medications: Dilantin is one example.
- Thyroid hormones: People with an underactive thyroid may have to take medications that increase their thyroid level. Too much of that medication, though, can weaken your bones.
- Corticosteroids: Prednisone is a corticosteroid that can cause excessive bone loss.
|
