Effects of Menopause on Bones

It's normal for women to gradually lose bone density at the age of about 35. But, after the menopause, bone loss speeds up.

Both men and women lose bone as they grow older. But, for women - at menopause, there is a dramatic decline of estrogen hormone, which causes rapid bone loss and can lead to devastating bone fractures. Having the strongest bones possible before you enter menopause is the best weapon against debilitating fractures.

In young, healthy women, if all is well on the bone front, bone is remodeled daily. This means that bone is built up more than it’s broken down, which makes sense since that’s when you do most of your growing (vertically, that is). But somewhere in your 30s, bone resorption (breakdown) begins exceeding bone build up. Estrogen’s disappearing act exacerbates this, so women in menopause continue to lose bone rapidly in the first four to eight years after menopause. However, even after those four to eight years, you are still at risk for losing bone tissue, so having regular bone-density scans is crucial if you want to prevent or slow osteoporosis. While you can’t halt bone loss entirely after the menopause, there is plenty you can do to slow it down.  

How to avoid Bone loss?

It's never too early to start thinking about what you can do to prevent osteoporosis. From the foods you eat to the amount of regular physical activity you get, the choices you make impact your health - right down to your bones.

Below are four areas to focus your efforts in preventing osteoporosis:

• Stay active: Weight-bearing exercises and resistance exercises are particularly important for improving bone strength and helping to prevent osteoporosis. This is because they place stress on the muscles and bones, which helps to strengthen them.
• Eat a balanced diet: A healthy, balanced diet that includes calcium and vitamin D will help maintain healthy bones after the menopause. Good sources of calcium include green, leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, tinned fish with the bones in, and dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese.
• Drink and smoke sensibly: Smoking is linked to a higher risk of osteoporosis and so is drinking too much alcohol. Quitting smoking will also help to lower your risk of heart disease, cancer and other smoking-related diseases. Men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week.

Also Read: Weight gain and Menopause in Women

Homeopathy Action on Bone Health

Besides affecting bone health, menopause increases the chance of getting diseases like Heart/Cardiovascular disease and weight gain. Homeopathic medicines are best suggested to get the one-stop solution for all the problems. They not only help in easing the pain but also help with the associated emotional symptoms of the disease. It helps in increasing

g the absorption of vitamins and minerals from the food that is eaten, thus providing more nourishment to the bone and reducing the chances of osteoporosis.

Also Read: How homeopathy can help to prevent bone loss

Also Read: Homeopathy is Safe & Effective for Menopausal Complaints