Osteoporosis is a silent disease that causes the bones to become weak. No pain is felt until a bone actually fractures (breaks). It most commonly occurs in women after menopause, but can occur in men, and from taking certain medications, or from certain medical diseases. Fractures of the spine cause people to become hunched over as they age, and fractures of the hip can be deadly and debilitating. These problems used to be accepted as a "normal" part of aging. But this is not true any more. As we are living to be older, it is important that this disease be prevented so that people can have a better quality of life as they age. It is very easy to diagnose and is treatable to prevent these fractures from occurring.

If any of the following conditions apply to you, then you are at increased risk of having osteoporosis, and you should have a DEXA scan done:

Take The Quiz:

1. Height loss (are you the same height you were in your 20's?)
2. Have you stopped having your menstrual cycle? (In fact, women lose bone most rapidly during the 1st few years after menopause)
3. Do you have a family history of osteoporosis?
   1. Has a family member had broken bones as an adult (in the absence of significant trauma)?
   2. Has a family member developed a humped over back as they aged?
4. Do you have thyroid disease?
5. Do you weigh less than 127 pounds?
6. Have you taken steroids (prednisone, medrol) for a few months or more, now or in the past?
7. Do you smoke cigarettes?
8. Have you broken any bones as an adult (in the absence of trauma)?
9. Have you had a low intake of calcium most of your life?
   1. Such as not consuming an average of 3 servings of dairy products per day.
   2. People who are lactose intolerant.
10. Are you a male with any of the above problems?
11. Are you a male 70 years of age or older?
12. Do you take any medications to treat osteoporosis (eg. Fosamax, Actonel, Miacalcin, Evista, Boniva)?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be losing bone and not even know it.

What You Can Do

Just call our office at 301.345.5600 and ask us if you may be eligible. If so, you can either have your doctor give you a prescription to have the test done, or you can call and make an appointment with one of our doctors who will fully assess your condition, interpret the test results, then provide you with recommendations or treat you if needed.

Our doctors are certified by the International Society of Clinical Densitometry (ISCD). You can find more information about osteoporosis and the DEXA scan at their website: http://www.iscd.org/Visitors/patient/index.cfm