Osteoporosis can make bones so brittle that even coughing can cause a fracture. Internal medicine physician and bioidentical hormone replacement specialist Sanjay Khedia, MD, helps adult and elderly patients reduce osteoporosis at his practice in Covina, California. Dr. Khedia also visits hospitals and nursing homes in the area. If you have osteoporosis, or you’re at a high risk for it, call or book an appointment online for treatment.

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What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis — which literally translates to “porous bone” — is a medical condition that causes your bones to become weak and brittle. This drastically increases your risk of bone fractures from falling, or even from mild stresses like bending over.

The most common complications of osteoporosis are bone fractures in the spine and hip. Sometimes, osteoporosis can cause the bones in your back (vertebrae) to crumble, even without a fall or injury. This is called a compression fracture, and it can lead to a hunched or stooped posture.

What are the symptoms of osteoporosis?

Usually, the early stages of bone loss don’t cause any symptoms. The only way to tell if you’re losing bone is to have a bone density test, which is a specialized X-ray that measures the amount of bone you have.

Moderate or advanced osteoporosis may create these signs and symptoms:

  • Back pain
  • Loss of height
  • Stooped posture or hunched back
  • Increased incidence of bone fractures

Although these signs and symptoms indicate bone damage, Dr. Khedia can reduce osteoporosis with proper treatment.

Who gets osteoporosis?

Both men and women are susceptible to osteoporosis, but women are much more likely to get this disease. Women who have gone through menopause are at particularly high risk of getting osteoporosis because the decline in estrogen levels accelerates bone loss.

Other conditions and lifestyle factors that increase your risk of getting osteoporosis include:

  • Thyroid imbalance
  • Advancing age
  • A family history of osteoporosis
  • Low calcium intake
  • Kidney or liver disease
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Excessive alcohol use
  • Tobacco use

If you’re at high risk of osteoporosis, Dr. Khedia works with you to develop a plan for prevention. Simply eating a healthy diet and getting enough physical activity can help prevent osteoporosis.

How do you diagnose and treat osteoporosis?

Dr. Khedia starts with a comprehensive physical exam and review of your medical history. Then, he may take a bone density scan of a few bones in your body to confirm your osteoporosis diagnosis.

Osteoporosis can’t be cured, but Dr. Khedia may recommend BioTE® hormone replacement therapy — which is an innovative therapy that involves customized bioidentical hormone pellets placed just beneath your skin — to reverse your bone loss. Additional treatments may include adding vitamin D and calcium supplements to your diet.

If you or a loved one are at risk of developing osteoporosis, don’t hesitate to call or book an appointment online.