Have you ever wondered how menopause is related to osteoporosis ? Why do postmenopausal women tend to lose bone mass and be at risk of osteoporosis? This article will answer your questions and give you advice on how to take care of yourself to reduce the risk that will occur when you enter menopause.
What changes do women in menopause have to face?
Women have ovaries that produce estrogen and progesterone, hormones that control menstruation and fertility. However, when women reach their late 30s, their hormone production begins to decline. When women reach their 40s, their periods may last longer or shorter, be heavier or lighter, more frequent, or be further apart. At the average age of about 51 years, สนใจสมัคร? คลิกที่นี่เพื่อเริ่มต้น a woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs and she no longer has a period.
These can lead to symptoms and physical abnormalities when dealing with hormonal changes, such as vaginal dryness, hot flashes, chills, night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes, weight gain, thinning hair, dry skin, and osteoporosis.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a bone disease that results from a decrease in the efficiency of new bone formation. Repair to replace old or injured bones is reduced or slower, causing brittle bones that are easily broken. Osteoporosis is a disease that can happen to anyone, but in postmenopausal women, the risk is increased due to physical factors. According to data from the Thai Red Cross Society as of October 21, 2022, 30 percent of postmenopausal women have osteoporosis. Therefore, women of this age must be especially careful about their health.
Why is it that when your period ends, you are at risk for osteoporosis?
Normally, bone mass is broken down and rebuilt rapidly and continuously until the age of 30, when bone mass building and repair begins to slow down and the body begins to lose some of its bone mass.
In women, estrogen plays a role in driving various bodily functions, including helping to regulate women’s menstrual cycles and helping to build bone mass and prevent bone loss.
When entering menopause, women’s bodies produce estrogen more slowly, causing the level of this hormone in the body to decrease significantly. And when estrogen is insufficient, bone mass is broken down more than it is built and repaired. Bone mass decreases rapidly, causing the bones that are normally porous like a sponge that were once filled with bone mass to become empty holes. Bone density decreases, making bones brittle and easily broken.
Entering menopause, how can you prevent osteoporosis?
Initially, when you enter perimenopause or when there are signs that you are entering menopause, you should plan to check your bone mass density to plan for osteoporosis prevention together with a specialist. Then you should adjust your lifestyle for good bone health as follows:
- Exercise regularly. If you are not too old or are before menopause, you can do weight training or resistance exercises. This will help build bone mass. If you are older or have entered menopause, you can do simple exercises that put weight on your joints, such as walking, brisk walking, or jogging. This will help increase bone strength and is also good for your cardiovascular and heart systems.
- Supplement with calcium and vitamin D. These two should come together because vitamin D helps in calcium absorption, which helps strengthen bones. If you want to supplement with these nutrients, consult your doctor.
- Avoid smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages because they affect hormone levels and calcium balance in the body, which are factors that cause weak bones.
- Get to know the types of medications that can cause bone loss. Steroids, anticonvulsants, anticoagulants, and thyroid medications can increase the rate of bone loss. If you need to use these medications, consult your doctor about using them in line with prevention or reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Your doctor may recommend behaviors, diet, or additional medications for appropriate use.
Osteoporosis is a disease that does not show clear symptoms until a bone breaks. When you know the risk factors, check your bone mass density with a specialist and plan for preven