We have as many as 213 bones in our bodies as adults. Bones grow quite a bit during puberty thanks to an influx of hormones, but many of those hormones are largely depleted after women reach menopause, the end of the reproductive cycle marked by the end of menstrual periods.
During menopause, the sharp drop in hormones can increase the risk of bone conditions like osteoporosis, where bone density is low and the chances of fractures and breaks rise. So, during Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month this May, let’s explore bone health after menopause, bone damage caused by osteoporosis, and how to prevent it.
Women in the Las Vegas, Nevada area struggling with bone health issues after menopause can get help from Dr. Staci McHale and her team at New Beginnings OB-GYN. Read on to learn what to look out for when it comes to your bone health.
Estrogen is one of the hormones women produce that helps maintain bone and muscle mass. Estrogen comes in many forms, including estradiol produced before menopause, estriol produced during pregnancy, and estrone produced after menopause.
Estradiol is the most potent form of estrogen, and postmenopausal women have very little of it, impacting bone strength and density. Women can lose up to 20% of bone density during menopause and 1 in 10 women will deal with a condition that can come from this loss of density: osteoporosis.
Bones are not as solid as they look. In fact, their thickness and strength are due to porous, interlacing mesh layers that combine to form what you see. Bones are filled with very small openings that allow the passage of things like blood cells into the other tissues of your body.
With osteoporosis, the mesh that forms bones gets thinner and if it gets weak enough, it becomes much easier to suffer fractures or breaks in bone from minor accidents or light falls, often occurring in your ribs, hips, wrists, and spine.
Preserving bone health is possible through a combination of lifestyle changes, such as increasing the amount of calcium and vitamin D through diet or supplements, performing regular weight-bearing exercises (walking, running), and keeping a healthy weight. Be sure to avoid habits that can damage bone density like smoking or abusing alcohol.
Numerous medications can help to maintain or increase bone density to keep them strong, such as bisphosphonates, denosumab, abaloparatide, sclerostin blockers, and estrogen therapy. This can be done in combination with the lifestyle changes mentioned to keep bones healthy.
Bone health is important regardless of age, and osteoporosis can be harmful, but it is manageable and we can help. Make an appointment with Dr. McHale and New Beginnings OB-GYN today to find out what options work best for your bones.
