When's the last time you enjoyed a good milk mustache? If you can't remember, maybe it's time you "got milk" before it's too late.
Why? Because a lack of calcium is one of the key causes of osteoporosis, a crippling disease characterized by a thinning of the bones that leaves them fragile and overly susceptible to fractures.
Sometimes called a silent disease, osteoporosis affects 28 million Americans, most of them postmenopausal women. Read on to learn how to protect yourself.
According to the National Women's Health Resource Center, the human body constantly breaks down old bone and replaces it with new, strong bone. This is usually a positive process, but during menopause, the process accelerates.
The bones are broken down faster than they can be formed, which can lead to osteoporosis. The following are four strategies for protecting yourself.
Calcium: Your body depends on calcium to maintain bone strength and density. You need between 1,000 and 1,300 mg of calcium a day to maintain your bone density. The amount your body needs changes as you grow older, so talk to your doctor about how much is right for you.
Vitamin D: This vitamin enables your body to use calcium. It is found in foods like milk, eggs and fish. Soaking up the sun for about 15 minutes a day will also help your body make the vitamin D it needs.
Exercise: Resistance exercises like lifting weights help maintain bones by strengthening muscles, and weight-bearing exercise such as walking helps maintain your current bone mass.
Early Screening: Early diagnosis is the key to preventing bone loss in the future. Fortunately, there's a quick and painless test available to test bone density. It's called a DXA scan, and it's widely available. Talk to your doctor to find out if a DXA scan is right for you.
Siloam Springs Regional Hospital offers densitometry screenings in our community, with a provider's order. Featuring high-quality images, the new DXA system allows our imaging team to determine bone mineral density, pinpoint fractures, identify aortic calcifications and measure body consumption with speed and precision.
For comfort, fast exam times and low X-ray dose examinations, our new platform allows our imaging team to assess multiple chronic illnesses in a single visit. For more information about how you can get an assessment for osteoporosis, fracture risk, body composition or cardiovascular risk, speak to your provider today.
Are you at risk?
Women who've gone through menopause are at high risk for osteoporosis, but other factors can affect bone mass as well. Here are some things to watch out for, whether menopause is years away or right around the corner.
• Family history of osteoporosis
• Caucasian or Asian descent
• A thin or small build (less than 120 pounds)
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Lactose intolerance or a daily diet containing less than 1,000 mg of calcium
Even if none of these risk factors apply to you, you still could have or develop osteoporosis, especially if you're older than 50 or past menopause. Talk to your doctor to discuss your risk.
About Siloam Springs Regional Hospital
Siloam Springs Regional Hospital is a 73 licensed-bed facility with 42 private patient rooms. It is accredited by the State of Arkansas Department of Health Services and The Joint Commission. Some services include inpatient and outpatient surgery, emergency medicine, medical, surgical and intensive care units, obstetrics, outpatient diagnostic services and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. With more than 50 physicians on the medical staff, Siloam Springs Regional Hospital provides compassionate, customer-focused care. SSRH is an affiliate of Northwest Health, the largest health system in Northwest Arkansas. Siloam Springs Regional Hospital is located at 603 N. Progress Ave. in Siloam Springs. For more information, visit NorthwestHealth.com.