When you are in your 30s or 40s you don’t even think of osteoporosis, which is known to affect women around 50+ years of age. However, the recent surveys revealed that more and more young women are having problems with their bone density. This pushed doctors to raise awareness on the early onset of osteoporosis. If you are below 50 years you might be prone to early onset osteoporosis, so you have to know the tell-tale signs of this condition.
What is osteoporosis
Before we dive further into this matter you need to know what osteoporosis is. The bones are always regenerating themselves. The highest bone density is in your 20s and 30s, when breaking your bones is rare. After this age, the bone density slowly decreases, which makes your bones more fragile, prone to fractures. This condition is hard to spot, because you don’t actually feel any pain until you break a bone. Knowing the signs of early onset osteoporosis is very important, as it helps you and the doctor prevent severe trauma.
Receding gums
Your dentist can actually spot one of the signs of osteoporosis. When your jaw is loosing bone density your gums start to recede. According to specialists from dental care clinic X-rays of your teeth can show if you suffer from osteoporosis, as the normal density of the bones is visible, as well as the bones which start to lose bone mass.
Back pain
Nowadays it’s hard to say if your back pain is due to a serious condition, such as osteoporosis, because we all suffer from a degree of back pain caused by sitting for hours on end. Even so, you should go to the doctor is your back pain is persistent and you can’t link it to a specific event, like a fall. A tiny bone fracture can lead to back pain, so it’s important to see your doctor about it.
Bad posture
A crooked back can be a sign of early onset osteoporosis. If your spine starts to get a curve you might be prone to osteoporosis affecting your spinal vertebrae. When your body is trying to compensate for the back pain caused by the thinning of the bones, your posture is going to be altered. You might not notice it right away, so ask a friend to look at your and tell if your back is starting to curve.
Loss of height
This is another surprising sign of osteoporosis, as we are used to see old people losing height as they age. But it can happen to women below 50 years too and it’s a sign you need to check with the doctor. If you notice you are losing height it can be due to vertebrae thinning and losing bone mass. Shrinking can also be a sign of a fracture of the spine, which is another serious condition that can signal an early onset osteoporosis.
Pay attention to your body and make sure to do to your doctor each time you suspect something is wrong. Osteoporosis is a very common condition and is now starting to affect even women in their mid 30s, so go see your doctor if you recognize one or more signs from this list.
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