Osteoporosis facts for kids
Osteoporosis is the weakening of bones in the body. It is caused by lack of calcium deposited in the bones. This lack of calcium causes the bones to become brittle. They break easily. Side effects include limping. Some symptoms late in the disease include pain in the bones, living in a wheelchair, and lower back pain due to spinal bone fractures. It is more likely for a woman to get osteoporosis than a man. Elderly people are more likely to develop osteoporosis than younger people. The amount of calcium in the bones decreases as a person gets older. There are three kinds of osteoporosis.
There is no cure for osteoporosis. A person can keep it from happening by exercising and taking the right amount of calcium each day. 75 million people in the United States, Japan, and Europe have osteoporosis. 30 million people in the US have poor bone density. Vitamin D, calcium, and exercise are the three main things for healthy bones. Consuming too much alcohol and caffeine can cause an increase in the risk of weak bones. Too much salt increases the amount of calcium lost in urine. This is bad because calcium makes bones strong. People should not take iron and calcium supplements at the same time. This is because calcium competes with the absorption of minerals such as iron.
Images for kids
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Progression of the shape of vertebral column with age in osteoporosis
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The body regulates calcium homeostasis with two pathways; one is signaled to turn on when blood calcium levels drop below normal and one is the pathway that is signaled to turn on when blood calcium levels are elevated.
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Light micrograph of an osteoclast displaying typical distinguishing characteristics: a large cell with multiple nuclei and a "foamy" cytosol.
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Light micrograph of osteoblasts, several displaying a prominent Golgi apparatus, actively synthesizing osteoid containing two osteocytes.
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Collapse of vertebra on the right, normal on the left
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See also
In Spanish: Osteoporosis para niños
