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Learn About Osteoporosis

 

The Basics

What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis (oss-tee-oh-puh-ro-sis) is a disease of the bones. It means your bones are weak and more likely to break.

People with osteoporosis most often break bones in the hip, spine, and wrist. A broken bone (often called a fracture) in an older person can cause pain, disability, and make it hard to do daily activities without help.

How do I Know if I Have Osteoporosis?
There are no signs or symptoms of osteoporosis. You might not know you have the disease until you break a bone. If you are age 65 or older, you should get a test to find out your bone strength (called a bone density test). Bone density tests are painless and easy.

It doesn’t matter how old you are; it is not too late to improve your bone health.

Here are some questions to ask your doctor about preventing osteoporosis:

  • What should I eat and how active should I be to prevent osteoporosis?
  • Am I currently taking any medicines that cause bone loss?
  • How much calcium and vitamin D is right for me?
  • How do I know if I have osteoporosis?

Find additional resources from healthfinder.gov.


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