As you age, your body naturally goes through a number of degenerative processes. Vision becomes impaired, hair falls out, hearing becomes impaired and the bones lose density. When it comes to bone loss, osteoporosis is a condition that occurs in both sexes, but more frequently in women. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), of the 10 million Americans who have osteoporosis, 8 million are women and 2 million are men. When it comes to reversing bone loss, there are several steps you can take that involve conventional treatments and lifestyle modifications.
Step 1
Talk to your doctor about bisphosphonates. Bisphosphonates are drugs that are similar to estrogen. They help reduce bone loss, increase bone density and can preserve existing bone mass. Men, young adults and people with steroid-induced osteoporosis can see the greatest benefit from this treatment. Ibandronate, alendronate and risedronate are all examples of bisphosphonates.
Step 2
Use a hormone that gets produced in the thyroid. Calcitonin is a hormone that can be taken in the form of an injection or nasal spray. This hormone can help slow down bone loss and reduce bone resorption.
Step 3
Get treated with teriparatide. This is a drug that is given through a daily injection in the abdomen or thigh. Instead of preventing further bone loss, this treatment is designed to promote the growth of new bone.
Step 4
Use a breast cancer drug. Tamoxifen is a breast cancer synthetic hormone drug. According to the Mayo Clinic, tamoxifen has the ability to reduce the risk of fractures, especially in women who are 50 years old or older.
Step 5
Perform daily exercise. Strength training can help build muscle and weight-bearing exercise can help strengthen the bones. Examples of strength-training exercises you can do are chest presses, shoulder presses, biceps curls and squats. Examples of weight-bearing exercises are walking, stair climbing and low-impact aerobics.
Step 6
Get enough Vitamin D and calcium in your diet. The Mayo Clinic recommends that women who are postmenopausal or premenopausal who use hormone therapy, should consume 1,000 mg of elemental calcium and 800 IU of Vitamin D daily. Calcium can be found in foods like dairy products, broccoli, almonds and kale. Vitamin D can be found in tuna, egg yolks and sardines. It can also be found naturally from the sun.
Step 7
Break the bad habits. Smoking can increase bone loss and if you currently smoke, quit. Avoid drinking more than two alcoholic beverages a day as it can decrease bone formation. Excessive alcohol intake can also compromise calcium absorption in the body.
