Treatment For Osteoporosis and Menopause

It has been seen that osteoporosis is quite common in menopausal and postmenopausal women. Most women who enter menopause may not even realize that their bone density is substantially reduced until they suffer from a fracture which will necessitate a trip to the doctor.

There are many treatment options available for menopausal women who suffer from osteoporosis. Their doctors can put them on medications like Risedronate, Alendronate or Calcitonin. Or, they can opt for a diet that is rich in calcium and Vitamin D. No matter what treatment regimen you choose to help with osteoporosis, make sure you combine it with exercise. In addition, if you smoke, you should stop immediately as smoking is one of the factors for causing osteoporosis. The other treatments offered to menopausal women are estrogen therapy, Biphosphonate, weight bearing exercises and Teriparatide in the form of injections.

There are certain medical conditions that can cause osteoporosis. Therefore, doctors may perform a series to tests to rule out these underlying medical conditions. In case, anything is found, it will be treated and you will notice an immediate improvement in your osteoporosis.

Along with the treatment offered for osteoporosis, doctors also recommend that you bring about changes to your lifestyle. This includes stopping alcohol and cigarettes completely, doing regular exercise. You should also seek different medications incase the medications you are on are known triggers of osteoporosis. For instance, long and sustained use of steroids can cause osteoporosis.

Remember, menopause does not necessarily result into osteoporosis. There are certain risk factors involved. If you can do away with them, you can lead a normal and healthy life like anyone else.

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Osteoporosis, What is the Important Factors couse it?

There are many factors that can cause osteoporosis and some of the most common ones are listed below. This information will allow you to assess your chances of developing osteoporosis and where ever possible you can try and reduce the risk factors.

Important Factors that Cause Osteoporosis:

• Age is one the biggest risk factors. The chances of getting osteoporosis increases with age. Women are prone to osteoporosis after the age of 45 while for men it is around 65 years and above.
• Women are more likely to get osteoporosis compared to men as they have thinner and lighter bones compared to men.
• Although osteoporosis can affect any race, it has been seen that it is more prevalent in Caucasian women.
• If there is a history of osteoporosis in your family, the chances of getting the disease are high.
• Smoking increases the chances of developing osteoporosis.
• Too much alcohol causes bone density to reduce as the loss of bone mass is greater than bone formation. However, drinking alcohol in moderation can help to increase bone density according to latest studies carried out.
• Drinking soft drinks in high amounts can cause osteoporosis as these drinks have high contents of phosphoric acid which hinders the absorption of calcium.
• Deficiency in calcium and vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis.
• Taking steroids for a long period of time can cause osteoporosis. In fact, this is the single major factor of osteoporosis in men.
• Not doing regular exercise can cause the bones to weaken and this can ultimately lead to osteoporosis.
• Drinking copious amount of caffeine increases the chance of developing osteoporosis. Therefore, it is advisable to cut down on drinks like tea, coffee and coke.
• Crash dieting leads to malnutrition and creates a deficiency of important nutrients like calcium and vitamin D. This can increase the chances of getting osteoporosis.

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Natural Treatments for Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis affects both men and women. It is a degenerative disease where the bone density starts reducing over a period of time. There are many treatment options available that can help with the side effects of the disease but many people prefer to try natural osteoporosis treatments as they prefer them to taking drugs and medications.

Natural Osteoporosis Treatments:

One of the best natural treatments available for osteoporosis is changing your diet. If you are suffering from this degenerative disease, make sure you consume foods rich in calcium to supplement the loss that is taking place. Try to maintain a diet consisting of vegetables and fruits. In addition, eat minimum quantities of saturated fats and trans fats. This is will help you treat the condition and if you start early enough, you will prevent it from occurring.

Another natural method to prevent and treat osteoporosis is to exercise regularly. This will keep your bones healthy and strong. Make sure you combine exercising with a healthy diet and you can prevent osteoporosis from taking over your life.

You can also fight osteoporosis by taking supplements of calcium and Vitamin D. Both these supplements are known to prevent loss of bone density. You can also take multi-vitamins to combat osteoporosis, if you wish. However, it is advisable to include foods that are rich in calcium and Vitamin D in your diet so that you do not have to take supplements. But, if you are still interested in taking supplements, take only those that come from a reliable source.

It is not always necessary to treat osteoporosis with medications and drugs. There are natural treatment options available that can help you improve the quality of your life if you are suffering from osteoporosis.

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Treat Osteoporosis? How Doctors do?

Fosamax is a bisphosphonate drug used for osteoporosis and several other bone diseases. It is marketed alone as well as in combination with vitamin D under the name Fosavance.

Side-effects GI tract: most prominent are harmless side effects such as mild nausea, dyspepsia, abdominal cramps, flatulence, diarrhea, or obstipation. A severe side effect is an ulceration of the esophagus caused by alendronate, which may require hospitalization and intensive treatment. Gastric and duodenal ulceration.

General: infrequent cases of skin rash, rarely manifesting as Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, eye problems (uveitis, scleritis) and generalized muscle, joint, and bone pain (rarely severe) have been seen. In laboratory tests decreased calcium and phosphate values may be obtained but reflect action of the drug and are harmless.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw, a recognised side-effect of bisphosphonates.

Dosage Prophylaxis of osteoporosis in women: 5-10mg daily or 35-70mg weekly.

Therapy of osteoporosis in women and men : 10mg daily or 70mg weekly.

Osteoporosis under corticosteroids: 5mg daily or 35mg weekly in men and premenopausal women or those receiving concomitant HRT. In postmenopausal women not receiving HRT the recommended dose is 10mg daily or 70mg weekly.

Paget's Disease: 40mg daily for 6 months.

The drug is to be taken only upon rising for the day with plenty of water. Stand, walk or sit 30 minutes afterwards to avoid esophageal damage. At least 30 minutes should be waited before meals or other beverages than water are taken in.

Interactions Milk, diet and drugs containing high amounts of calcium, magnesium or aluminium (antacids): the resorption of alendronate is decreased. At least half an hour should pass after intake of alendronate before taking the supplement or drug.

Highly active vitamin D analogues or fluorides: no data is available. Concomitant treatment should be avoided.

The additional beneficial effect of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) with estrogens/progestins or raloxifene in postmenopausal women remains to be elucidated, but no interactions have been seen. The combination is therefore possible.

Intravenous ranitidine increases the oral bioavailability of alendronate. No clinical consequences are known.

The combination of NSAIDS and alendroate increases the risk of gastric ulcers. Both these drugs have the potential to irritate the upper gastro-intestinal mucosa.

Does Merck have a patent on this drug?

Yes, but the patent is set to expire in 2008 and Merck has lost a series of appeals to block a generic version of the drug from being certified by the US FDA.

Disclaimer: The information presented here should not be interpreted as or substituted for medical advice. Please talk to your doctor to learn more about Fosamax.

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What is Vitamin A? What are the Benefits of Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin that is best known for its positive effects on helping the eyes adjust to changes in the light. Vitamin A contributes to the overall health of the eyes, the skin and the mucous membranes. This particular vitamin, which is also commonly referred to as Retinol, can be mostly found in animal food sources, but there are also a number of plant based food sources that supply beta carotene, which is converted into Vitamin A within the body. Vitamin A is also generally regarded as an excellent antioxidant, which means that it is responsible for neutralizing the free radicals within the body that cause damage to cells and tissue.

It has been suggested by scientific studies in the past that beta carotene and Vitamin A can help people who have Coronary Artery Disease or CAD. However, it is not recommended that beta carotene or Vitamin A supplements be taken for this purpose yet, until more scientific research can be conducted. It is already known that Vitamin A and beta carotene have a positive effect on the body, though it is not yet known what exactly Vitamin A can do for the body, especially when it comes to Coronary Artery Disease or CAD.

Vitamins are most commonly categorized based on what materials they can be dissolved in, and for that reason, Vitamin A is categorized as a fat soluble vitamin. Other fat soluble vitamins include vitamins D, E and K. The alternative is vitamins that are water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins are stored within the fat tissue in the body, and they can be stored from as little as a few days until as many as six months. If you ingest too much of a fat soluble vitamin, it can be stored in the wrong place such as your liver, which can cause problems in your body. Fat soluble vitamins should never be taken in large doses, as this can lead to toxicity issues.

There are actually a number of health problems that make it difficult for people to absorb vitamins like Vitamin A. It is important to know how vitamin absorption will be affected by chronic health conditions. It is also important to know how much Vitamin A you need to consume for your optimum health. It is generally recommended that women consume around 800 mcg of Vitamin A, and that men consume 1000 mcg of Vitamin A daily for optimum health. Luckily, there are a number of sources of Vitamin A available, including beef liver, cheddar cheese, fortified milk, egg yolk, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, broccoli, apricots, cantaloupe and spinach or other collared greens.

Vitamin A deficiencies are not all too common in the United States, but when this vitamin deficiency does occur, it can cause night blindness, inflammation of the eyes, diarrhea and a variety of other problems. Over consuming vitamin A on the other hand can cause problems relating to irritability, nausea, blurred vision and many other issues. Someone who takes too much vitamin A can have their feet and hands turn orange. Serious Vitamin A toxicity can cause hair loss, an enlarged spleen and liver, and even growth retardation in severe forms. For this very reason, it is important for you to understand how much vitamin A you are getting in your diet. If you are getting enough vitamin A and beta carotene in your food products, there is no need to take a vitamin supplement.

If you want to get the most amounts of vitamins possible from your foods, then you should immediately refrigerate your fresh produce products, and should keep milk and grain products out of strong amounts of light. The vitamins in your foods are easily washed out or destroyed during the food preparation and storage processes. If you are taking your vitamin A in the form of a supplement, you should make sure to store them in a cool and dry place that has no excess moisture.

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The Uses of Vitamins

A vitamin is in essence known as a key nutrient that everyone's body needs to continue to build and stay healthy and fighting fit.

Altogether there are 13 individual amounts of vitamins that have been found in various sources from 1909 to the most recent in 1941. Looking at the 13 selections of vitamins, four are fat soluble and the other 9 as water soluble. This basically means that water soluble vitamins do not get reserved in the body so they need to be consumed in your diet from day to day, while fat soluble are easily stored in your body and won't need to be taken every day. The main types of vitamins that are always present in the human diet are A, C, D and E and they can be found in many types of food supplements and from other surprisingly different sources.

The A Factor

The very first of the vitamins to be uncovered was Vitamin A known in some circles as Retinol. Vitamin A was found back as early as 1909 in cod liver oil and can now be found in many food elements. Many of these are meat items such as pork, chicken and beef nevertheless if your a vegetarian don't fear! Vitamin A can also be found in the likes of butter. Vitamin A has many advantags that consist of helping your sight, reinforcing your immune system and by and large maintaining and improving your body to a fit and healthy level. Taking in more vitamins than you need can lead to a disease called Hypervitaminosis A which can then result in dry skin and osteoporosis.

The C Factor

Vitamin C is next in line and can be described as the second important vitamin that is an essential part of a human or higher primate's diet. First discovered in 1912 from a source of lemons, Vitamin C is questionably the most renknowned vitamin on the market with traces in most major fruit produce such as strawberries and tomatoes. Vitamin C takes effect internally within your body in protecting cells and keeping them in a healthy state, and helping the body soak up iron from the food that you eat. Vitamin C can't be stored in the body and consequently it falls into one of the water soluble vitamins so you will need to take it regularly.

A History Of Vitamin D

Onto the third of our 4 main vitamins, Vitamin D, which was discovered at the end of World War I back in 1918. Now most people identify this vitamin solely with fish products like cod and tuna. However Vitamin D can also be found in such foods as milk and cereal grains, and can even be absorbed by time spent in the sun. The benefits of Vitamin D can consist of a radiant white smile as it controls the calcium and phosphate in your body which in addition strengthens the bones in your body. On the down side a vitamin deficiency can lead to some very serious problems which include the likes of rickets, chronic pain and depression. In the event of you taking an overdose you will experience the same kind of affects as Vitamin A with a disease called Hypervitaminosis D with side effects such as sickness, diarrhea and fatigue.

About Vitamin E

Eventually we come to Vitamin E which was the latest of our main 4 vitamins to be discovered, this was found in 1922 in a source of wheat germ oil. Foods with Vitamin E in can include nuts, peanuts and avocado. The suggested dosage of this vitamin can help protect your body by acting as an antioxidant that will help to fend off any diseases that can affect your immune system and help to fight off illnesses and other general hazards that can threaten your health. Overdosing on this vitamin could be a serious health risk and could potentially leads to a chronic disease such as lung cancer.

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What Is A Vitamin? Fat Soluble Versus Water Soluble Vitamins

A vitamin is an extremely complex organic substance needed in very small amounts in the diet, but is essential for human life and metabolic processes. Metabolic processes would include growth, maintenance, and health. The body is not capable of producing sufficient quantities of vitamins to supply its needs under normal circumstances.

There are some substances that we would call vitamin-like substances that are not considered essential since the body's tissues are usually able to produce them in sufficient amounts. Sometimes, they are supplied as composite parts of vitamin complexes of other nutrients.

Each vitamin has its own unique function in the human body and cannot be replaced by any other substance. Vitamins, for example, as coenzymes, perform principally as regulators of metabolic activity at a physical and chemical level at a cellular level. These processes play important roles in energy production.

Vitamins are obtained typically from foods and are an integral part of a nutritive mix or compound which is exquisitely interlaced and fused with the whole food itself. Some vitamins are just provitamins or they are precursor to a whole food vitamin preparation. In other words, these precursors are converted into the required active substances within the body.

Although vitamins often times are considered to be a single substance, each vitamin is actually a group of chemically related compounds. Separating or fractioning the group or the compounds into a single incomplete vitamin portion converts it from a physiological, biochemical, active micronutrient into a disabled, debilitated chemical of little or no value to living cells.

Traditionally, the most convenient way to classify vitamins is by their solubility. Basically, what that means is, are they capable of being dissolved in water or fat.

Fat-soluble vitamins are soluble in fat solvents. In other words, they are held in fats and absorbed with dietary fats and offer integrated fats into the diet. Fat-soluble vitamins are insoluble in water. The fat-soluble vitamins would include the following: Vitamin A, D, E, K, and the essential fatty acids. Fat soluble vitamins typically are not excreted in the urine, but tend to be stored in moderate amounts in our bodies.

Water soluble vitamins of course are soluble in water and are thus suspended in water molecules and food. These will include all the vitamins of the B complex and C complex groups.

The traditional view of vitamins for many, many decades had been that they were compounds essential for preventing deficiency diseases and as coenzymes or activators in key physical and chemical reactions in the body. Now, as we understand more what vitamins do in our bodies, we are identifying new functions and roles that are being found by these vital nutrients. Vitamin needs by our human body vary from individual to individual.

Nutritional requirements by individuals also vary from individual to individual, and although each person needs all the same nutrients, the quantities of each nutrient needed daily are distinctively different for every individual. Each individual human has patterns and needs all of his own, which in itself may vary due to environmental, circumstantial, and genetic conditions.

Most of our vitamins can be found in food and are either directly or indirectly produced by plants. The exceptions are vitamin D which can be produced in adequate amounts by the body utilizing the ultraviolet light from the sun and vitamin B12 which can be produced by fungus, soil microorganisms, and some bacteria. The intestinal bacteria normally also produce at least a portion of the needed vitamin K, as well as smaller quantities of some other B complex factors.

Nevertheless, vitamin-rich whole foods are still the only source or the most important source of virtually all vitamins. Some of the best sources of vitamins include seeds of all kinds including nuts, whole grains, and eggs, particularly the germ, which would eventually develop into a new plant or animal, yeast, yeast extracts, liver and some other organ meats, since the vitamins tend to concentrate in organ tissues in animals, and finally fruits and vegetables. How do we know if we are deficient to certain vitamins or minerals?

A subclinical deficiency means the body's vitamin or mineral or trace mineral stores are gradually drained resulting in loss of optimal health and impaired body process that depend on that particular nutrient.

In future articles, I will be discussing the various different vitamins, what foods they can be found in, and their importance in overall human health. Until then, I would recommend you consult with your family physician or healthcare provider for more information on vitamin, nutritional needs.

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