At the age of 16, I started exercising regularly. This decision drastically changed my life for the better. I lost an enormous amount of weight and went down three dress sizes. Unfortunately, I had to undergo orthopedic surgery 8 years ago to remove torn cartilage from my left knee. After my surgery, I was afraid to work out due to the continual swelling in my knee. Thankfully, I made an appointment with my orthopedic doctor to talk about this issue. This medical professional prescribed a comfortable and protective knee brace for me to wear while exercising. On this blog, I hope you will discover how an orthopedic doctor can help you exercise again.
If your orthopedic doctor diagnoses you with male secondary osteoporosis, you may think that all you need to do is increase your calcium intake to strengthen your bones. Although you should get more calcium in your diet, it may not be enough to protect your weakened bones from osteoporotic fractures. Osteoporotic fractures can be painful when they occur, as well as have lifelong effects on your overall health. Here are valuable things to know about secondary osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures.
How Can Men Develop Secondary Osteoporosis?
When most people hear about osteoporosis, they often associate the condition with older women. But men 65 years of age and older are also vulnerable for low bone density or mass, including secondary osteoporosis. Secondary osteoporosis generally develops when you have a health problem or risk factor that weakens your bone tissue. Smoking, poor health and obesity are common factors for secondary osteoporosis.
Some men develop secondary osteoporosis when they have an underlying health problem that weakens their bones. Gastrointestinal disease and cystic fibrosis are two health problems known to cause osteoporosis. Digestive problems can keep your body from absorbing the nutrients in your food. Instead of traveling to your bones, the nutrients leave your body when you urinate or have bowel movements. Taking certain types of medications or undergoing specific treatments can trigger secondary osteoporosis, including immunosuppressants.
Immunosuppressive drugs should prevent the immune system from rejecting a treatment, an organ transport or its own cells. But sometimes, the drugs interfere with how your bones use or absorb calcium, vitamin D and other bone-building minerals. You lose bone tissue as a result. If you take immunosuppressive medications, they may be the reasons for your poor bone density.
In addition to the causes above, having low testosterone levels can also reduce your bones' mass. A number of men experience male menopause, or andropause, as they age. The drop in male hormones changes how your bones utilize their minerals. If your primary health provider doesn't prescribe treatments to replace or slow down the bone loss, your osteoporosis may become worse.
Your bone loss can increase your risk factors for osteoporotic fractures, or bone fractures.
What Are Osteoporotic Fractures?
Osteoporotic fractures can occur in your forearms, hips, shoulders, and spine. Your bones tend to be weaker in these locations and may break faster than the bones in your thighs and upper arms. For example, your thigh bones, or femurs, are made of cortical material, which makes them some of the strongest bones in your body. The bones of your spine are made of spongy material, or cancellous bone, and are generally weaker and less dense than cortical bone tissue. Fractures in your cancellous bones can be potentially life changing.
Spine fractures generally occur in the vertebrae of the backbone. The bones can "compress" or squeeze the nerves and blood vessels that travel through your spine. You might have problems standing or sitting up properly. In a number of cases, you appear to lose height as your spinal bones compress. You can't treat osteoporotic fractures at home, as they can become extremely painful. In this case, you'll need to seek treatment from an orthopedist.
Treatment for spinal fractures usually involving wearing an abdominal, back or spinal brace to ease your discomfort and protect your bones from further damage. The brace can support your entire spine, or it can support certain areas of your back. A bone doctor may prescribe supplements to reduce the loss of bone mass in your body.
If necessary, surgery is an option to replace the bone you lose to secondary osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures. An orthopedist may place artificial material between your vertebrae to build height and support. If you develop fractures anywhere else in your body, surgery may also be a viable option.
If you'd like more information about male osteoporosis, consult with an orthopedic specialist today.
Share29 November 2016
