World Osteoporosis Day 2020: Here's What You Need To Do To Prevent Osteoporosis

World Osteoporosis Day 2020: October 20 is observed as World Osteoporosis Day. This day is meant to raise awareness about osteoporosis, a debilitating condition which causes the bones to become weak and brittle. The bones become so brittle that a fall or a mild stress like coughing or bending over can cause a fracture. The condition commonly causes fractures in the hip, wrist or spine. In a person with osteoporosis, creation of new bone cannot be kept with the loss of old bone. Common symptoms of osteoporosis include back pain (caused by fractured vertebrae), loss of height over time, stooped posture and bones that break easily.

Osteoporosis: What you can do to prevent it?

A physically active lifestyle with a healthy diet and regular exercise can help in prevention of osteoporosis.

1. Exercise regularly

Regular exercise can make your bones and muscles stronger. Weight-bearing exercises like aerobics, climbing stairs, running, walking, yoga and dancing are weight bearing exercises that can make your bones stronger. You can also do strength training and weight training exercises regularly. They can improve your body strength and bone strength alike.

Also read: Osteoporosis Prevention: Make These Diet And Lifestyle Changes To Lower The Risk Of Osteoporosis

2. Calcium and Vitamin D

Calcium and Vitamin D are the two nutrients you need for strong and healthy bones. Lack of calcium in your diet can result in loss of bone mass. Milk and dairy products, soy foods, salmon and sardines and dark leafy green veggies are a good source of calcium.

Vitamin D is needed by the body to enhance absorption of calcium. The sunshine vitamin is synthesised in the body in the presence of sunlight. You can get traces of it by eating fatty fish, mushroom, milk and dairy products and egg yolks.

Also read: Can Vitamin D Help You From Getting Sick? Know The Truth About Vitamin D

3. Avoid aerated drinks

These drinks contain sugar in excessive amounts. Drinking them is like consuming empty calories, so they anyway should be avoided. What's more, studies have found that aerated or carbonated drinks can lead to bone loss. It may probably be because of the extra phosphorus in your body that keeps it from absorbing calcium.

Also read: Ditch Fizzy Drinks Now! Health Hazards Of Aerated Drinks You Must Know

4. Avoid smoking and alcohol

These two habits can harm you in more ways than you can imagine. They can increase risk of bone loss and hence you must avoid drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes under all circumstances.

For extra protection, you can get a bone density test, which measures a small part of one or a few bones to see how strong they are. This test can tell about one's likelihood of getting osteoporosis. Talk to your expert to check if you need a bone density test or not.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.