San José, Costa Rica. Abril, 2016.

Did you know that every ten years you have a new skeleton? Probably not. We cannot see us in an X-Ray mirror every morning, and many of us are not physicians to know this. Neither do we have the curiosity of reading about what happens to our bones until, after 50 years, we begin to notice that we are losing height and, one day, we suffer a fracture due to an accident that did not merit such a serious result.

 What happens, as Doctor Miguel Boza Hernández, internist physician of the Clínica Bíblica Hospital, points out, is that “the bones change constantly. New bone grows, while the old bone is disintegrated and absorbed by the body. When one is young, new bone develops more rapidly than the time the body needs to disintegrate the old bone, therefore increasing bone mass. Once the total bone mass has reached its maximum level, it begins to lose, given that the body disintegrates old bone more rapidly than what it takes to develop new bone.”

It is then that we begin to run the risk of developing osteoporosis, a disease that consists in a decrease in bone mass and that puts us at greater risk of fractures.

Who are in greater risk of developing osteoporosis?

Although it can appear in younger people, osteoporosis weakens the bones of those who have crossed a half century of life. Generally, it’s the postmenopausal women who tend to present this disease.

It can also appear in men with low levels of testosterone.

Sedentarism, smoking, family background, having had multiple pregnancies and the prolonged use of medications (such as steroids) can be other factors that contribute to the development of this disease.

How can we detect osteoporosis?

The bones lose strength silently. This is why osteoporosis is considered a “silent disease”, since it rarely shows symptoms until there is a fracture.

However, as Doctor Boza points out, through an exam known as a bone densitometry of the hip and lumbar spine, it is possible to diagnose if one suffers from this condition.

Also, there are other three visible symptoms that can indicate that our skeleton is deteriorating:

• If there is a curvature of the spine (that is, if the person is developing a round-back or a hunchback).
• If one loses more than 2.5 centimeters in height.
• If there are fractures due to traumas that normally would not merit a broken bone.

How can we prevent osteoporosis?

Let us remember that prevention means a better and longer life. Therefore, even though we have already accumulated more than five decades travelling the world, we can still apply healthy life habits to prevent osteoporosis.

As Dr. Boza underlines, we must “keep a good diet, do physical activity every day, keep a good weight, not smoke, avoid the excess of alcohol, and consult the doctor in case there is a background of osteoporosis in the family. Also, if the woman is initiating her menopause period, it is recommended to ask the doctor for tips on how to prevent osteoporosis and fractures”.

In addition, the specialist highlights that there are additional treatments, “such as Prolia (which is applied every 6 months in a small injection under the skin), and oral or intravenous bisphosphates, always associated with an ideal contribution of calcium and vitamin D, inasmuch as possible through the adjustment of diet and physical activity”.

In order to obtain further information or request an appointment in any of the medical specialties, please contact the private Hospital Clínica Bíblica at telephone number 2522-1000, by email at contacto@clinicabiblica.com or via chat at the website: www.clinicabiblica.com