Over one million Australians suffer from osteoporosis, with the majority being women. The statistics are no different for other bone-related conditions. Even at Providence Medical, the majority of patients with bone-related complications are women.
Since we are the most affected by bone conditions, this creates an urgent need for all of us to look after our bone health, regardless of age. In the rest of the article, I show you why it’s important for you to prioritize bone health.
Boys usually gain more bone mass than girls after puberty. Even though bones reach their maximum strength and density when one is in their late 20s, this mostly comes earlier for women.
What’s more, between this period (30) and menopause, there will be minimal changes in your total bone mass. This calls for the need to focus on your bone health from an early age to avoid having old and weak bones when you are barely 30.
As mentioned earlier, osteoporosis affects more women than men. This is pretty much the case with most bone-related complications.
Women naturally have thinner and lighter bones, which puts them at higher risk of osteoporosis and other bone-related complications due to less bone mass. That aside, estrogen (the hormone that protects our bones) decreases enormously when women reach menopause, leaving our bones more vulnerable.
Even though this is way beyond our control, the best you can do is focus on diets and activities that will enhance your bone health. Visit any best medical center in Australia for guidance on how to go about this.
At least 20% of women smoke daily. The statistics are almost similar to alcohol. Smoking and alcohol have been linked to low bone density in both men and women. Given our higher vulnerability to bone complications, our bone health is more likely to be affected by these habits.
Anorexia, an emotional disorder common among women, is another major contributing factor towards weak bones. While the rest of your body can recover after you are done with this weight-loss craze, weak bones remain and become a major problem as you age.
Prolonged menstrual periods compromise peak bone mass by disrupting bone mineral accrual. To gain full bone mass, you need to eat well. Go for diets that will help you gain enough of the hormone estrogen, which maintains and strengthens your bones.
Earlier on, we saw how estrogen plays a vital role in keeping our bones healthy. You can guess what happens when it decreases sharply. Bone loss occurs!
This is precisely what happens during menopause. The sharp decrease in estrogen levels opens a window for bone conditions like osteoporosis to kick in.
Since none of us can predict an exact date or time when menopause will hit, it is advisable to store ample bone minerals in the early years.
By now, it should be clear why you need to pay extra attention to your bone health from an early age. I mentioned some of the actions you can take to keep your bones healthy. I’ll briefly talk about the most important ones before showing you where to get the best medical services in Australia that cater to women.
Foods rich in Vitamin D help our bones to effectively absorb calcium. They prevent our body from using all the calcium stored in them which often leads to weaker bones. Consume calcium-rich foods as well and other diets that promote bone health. Speak to an experienced nutritionist from any best medical center in Australia to learn more about the right diets for your bone health.
Regular physical exercises strengthen your bones. Basic physical activities and easy tasks like jogging pull the muscles around bones, making them stronger. Start participating in these activities at an early age. Exercises and activities such as dancing, walking, aerobics can help you gain enough bone density.
As mentioned earlier, smoking and alcohol affect bone health. Smoking often clogs blood vessels, reducing the amount of oxygen supplied to ones’ body organs, including bones. The nicotine in cigarettes also slows bone cell regeneration, meaning they cannot heal well after fractures. Too much alcohol, on the other hand, decreases bone density, leaving them porous and open to brittleness.
In conclusion, there’s a lot you will have to do as a woman to maintain and improve your bone health, given that we are more vulnerable to bone complications than men. Begin by identifying the risk factors and then take the necessary steps to protect your bone health. You can visit any Providence medical center in Australia if you need help with both. We have medical services that cater to all women’s health issues and are aimed at improving your health and wellness. If you can’t make it to our facility, our telehealth consultations in Australia have you covered. Book your appointment today.