Porous bones - Osteoporosis definition - What is osteoporosis?

Feb 2014  › › › What is osteoporosis - osteoporosis definition - porous bones
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones. The word osteoporosis literally means 'porous bones' and is derived from the Greek words 'ostoun' meaning bone and 'poros' meaning pore.
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It is an age-related disorder associated with progressive loss of bone mass and density. There is gradual decrease in the mineral density, deterioration of the structure into porous state and altering of the protein components in the skeletal system.

The osteoporosis disease is classified into primary type 1, primary type 2, and secondary type. Postmenopausal occurrences in women are referred as primary type 1. Primary type 2 occurs in men and women after 75 years of age. The secondary type can arise at any age and in any gender. Several predisposing factors can give rise to porous skeletal system. The consequence of all these forms is the increased risk of porous fractures which may be debilitating.

The bone density peaks by the age of 30 years and then there is a gradual loss throughout our lives. High bone density at the age of thirty years means less likelihood of developing the porous disease. Hence the density has to be built right from the childhood by taking balanced diet rich in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. Exercises, especially weight-bearing exercises will help in increasing the density.

Malnutrition, estrogen deficiency in women, decrease in testosterone levels in men, consumption of alcohol, genetic predisposition, tobacco smoking and sedentary lifestyle are some of the predisposing factors that can cause osteoporosis disease. The signs and symptoms of osteoporosis disease may not be very apparent in many patients. There may dull chronic pain in the lower back while the bone is becoming porous. The diagnosis of osteoporosis is by x-rays and bone density tests.
Elderly woman with osteoporosis
elderly women affected by osteoporosis
Osteoporosis treatment and management is by changing the lifestyle. The risk of porous fractures due to osteoporosis disease can be reversed and reduced by taking diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, exercising regularly and taking precautions to prevent falls.

Web definitions

1.The wordnetweb.princeton.edu defines as "abnormal loss of bony tissue resulting in fragile porous bones attributable to a lack of calcium; most common in postmenopausal women."

2.The merriam-webster.com defines as "medical : a condition in which the bones become weak and break easily."

3. The medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com defines as "The word osteoporosis literally means "porous bones." It occurs when bones lose an excessive amount of their protein and mineral content, particularly calcium. Over time, bone mass, and therefore bone strength, is decreased. As a result, they become fragile and break easily. Even a sneeze or a sudden movement may be enough to break a bone in someone with severe osteoporosis."


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Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OsteoCutout.png
Image author: James Heilman, MD | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic in nutritional deficiency diseases:
What is osteoporosis disease - definition - porous bones.

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