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.
