A deficiency in calcium can cause a condition known as osteoporosis, which can result in your bones being brittle and easily fractured. Although both men and women can get osteoporosis, it is a condition that mainly targets women in the stages of menopause and post-menopause due to a decline in estrogen. This condition can cause bone pain as well as joint pain.
Identification
Osteoporosis occurs when bones become thin. According to the website PubMed Health, one out of five women in American over the age of 50 develop osteoporosis. Half of women over this age will suffer with hip fractures due to this brittle bone disease. This disease develops when there is a lack of new bone forming due to a deficiency in calcium among other causes such as vitamin D deficiency or hyperparathyroidism.
Symptoms
Osteoporosis usually causes no symptoms in the beginning stages, but as the disease progresses you may develop joint pain along with fractures, loss of height, lower back pain, neck pain and stooped posture. If you develop these symptoms, tests such as spine CT, bone mineral density testing or spinal x-ray may be used to see if you have osteoporosis.
Treatment
Treatment for osteoporosis includes pain medication to control joint and bone pain; medication to stop bone loss, which may include calcium supplements; and hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women, although the latter method is rarely used anymore according to PubMed Health. Getting regular exercise reduces the risk of developing bone fractures if you have osteoporosis. It is also recommended that you avoid all exercises that increase the risk of falling.
Prevention
Eating foods that contain calcium and vitamin D -- such as non-fat or low-fat dairy products, salmon, sardines and eggs -- can help prevent osteoporosis. Low-fat dairy products reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol ingested, which if consumed too frequently can lead to heart disease. Additionally, those who smoke should stop, and drinkers should limit their alcohol consumption, as drinking too much can deplete calcium from your body. You may also be directed to take a multivitamin that contains calcium if you are at an increased risk for developing the disease.
