The Prevention of Women Osteoporosis In UK

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Research

Health is the state of being well and free from illness in body or mind; the condition of a person’s body or mind ( Oxford, 1995 : 551 ). Health is important things for human life without it we can not tread our activities normally. Human are usually susceptible from illnesses especially women. There are some illnesses that susceptible for women, for example osteoporosis.

Caucasian and Asian women are highest to risk osteoporosis than African American and Hispanic women. It is happen because their fair skin. Women who has a white skin is highest to risk by osteoporosis because they have many changes especially in the hormonal, from young, teens, adults until they old.

Osteoporosis is defined by the World Health Organization as a systemic skeletal disorder characterised by low bone mass and micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture ( http://www.google.co.id/ ). However, in adult practice, osteoporosis is usually defined on the assessment of bone density alone in the absence of any fractures. There are several factors why women are highest to risk osteoporosis and there are also several steps to prevent it.

In this scientific research paper, the writer wants to analyze The Prevention of Women Osteoporosis In UK. The subject which the writer wants to analyze is the prevention of women who risk osteoporosis.

The writer choose this topic because approximately three million people in the UK have osteoporosis, and women commonly lose 30-50% of their bone mass over their lifetimes than men. In this study, the writer hopes that this study can give significant input for the students about the prevention of osteoporosis and keep they healthy from osteoporosis.

CHAPTER II

DISCUSSION

2.1 Theory of Osteoporosis

The word osteoporosis literally means "porous bones." It occurs when bones lose an excessive amount of their protein and mineral content, particularly calcium. Over time, bone mass, and therefore bone strength, is decreased. As a result, bones become fragile and break easily. Even a sneeze or a sudden movement may be enough to break a bone in someone with severe osteoporosis ( http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4686 ).

Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become weak and easily broken, eg because of a lack of CALCIUM ( Oxford, 1995 : 819 ).

Osteoporosis occurs when your bones lose a certain percentage of their mineral density. It can lead to severe fractures, including those in the hip and spine. These fractures can be very painful and may limit your independence and freedom ( http://www.google.co.id/ ).

Osteoporosis is a condition that affects the bones, causing them to become thin and weak ( http://www.cks.nhs.uk/patient_information_leaflet/osteoporosis ).

Osteoporosis is a condition where the rate of bone loss is greater than the rate of bone production. There are many factors which contribute to the condition including, race, diet, lifestyle, hereditary factors and gender ( http://www.epigee.org/menopause/osteo.html ).

Osteoporosis is a condition that develops slowly over several years. The symptoms are not obvious in the early stages of the condition and can take months or years to appear. The early warning signs of osteoporosis can include joint pains and having difficulty standing or sitting up straight ( http://www.cks.nhs.uk/ ).

2.3 The Prevention of Osteoporosis

The overall health of a person's bones is determined by many things, ranging from how well the bones were formed as a youth to the person's physical activity level over the years. Osteoporosis is common disease that often affects postmenopausal women. There are several factors why women are highest to risk osteoporosis than men. This is due to the decrease in the hormone oestrogen after the menopause, which is essential for healthy bones. Women are at greater risk of developing osteoporosis when they have an early menopause (before the age of 45), a hysterectomy before the age of 45, particularly when the ovaries are also removed, or when their periods are absent for a long time (more than six months) as a result of over-exercising or over-dieting.

Osteoporosis also have signs, the signs include frequent broken bones or fractures, low back pain or a hunched back. You may also get shorter over time because osteoporosis can cause your vertebrae (the bones in your spine) to collapse. These problems tend to occur after a lot of bone calcium has already been lost. Osteoporosis can be a very debilitating condition that can have an extremely detrimental effect on health, quality of life and emotional and psychological health and welfare.

There are several case about women who risk osteoporosis in UK. There are :

· Jane Oden has osteoporosis when she 35 years old. She had been come to the hospital and got some treatment for her osteoporosis like Alendronate and Risedronate. This treatment are used to help prevent and treat osteoporosis. They help reduce the risk of fractures by decreasing the rate of bone loss. They are taken orally in pill form. Then after she used this treatment for 5 years she felt better than before. Now, she can do her activity normally.

· Christine Borgstrom ( 45 ) also have the same disease with Jane Oden. She know about her illness after she had been checked by DEXA scan. DEXA scan is a bone density scan, called a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, it is important to measure the density of bones and compares this to a normal range. When she got “ T score “, her score is below -2.5. After that, she took a Ibandronate this is a treatment which helps to slow bone loss and increases bone density. It is available both as a pill or as an injection. But until now, there is no change from it.

From this cases, the writer found the differences between the first case and the second case. In the first case, the women who risk osteoporosis can be healed but not for the second women. Nevertheless, both of them have the same disease because around age 35 — all adults start to lose bone mass. In women, the rate of bone loss speeds up after menopause, when estrogen levels fall. Since the ovaries make estrogen, faster bone loss may also occur if both ovaries are removed by surgery. Because about it, women commonly lose 30-50% of their bone mass over their lifetimes. Besides that women who stop menstruating early because of heredity, surgery or lots of physical exercise may lose large amounts of bone tissue early in life. Conditions such as anorexia and bulimia also may lead to early menopause and osteoporosis. But it's never too late or too early to take steps to prevent it.

There are several ways to prevent osteoporosis, such as :

· Become familiar with the disease. Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle, which leads to increased bone fractures. The disease is often the result of low levels of calcium, phosphorus and other minerals in your bones. It can make the bones so weak that mild stresses, like bending over or coughing, can cause a painful fracture. Find out if you have a family history of osteoporosis, as this may increase your chances of developing it. When you reach menopause, be sure to get regular bone-density screenings.

· Increase your calcium intake. Getting adequate amounts of calcium is very important in reducing your risk of osteoporosis. However, the amount you need changes throughout your lifetime. Calcium needs are highest during childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, breast-feeding and postmenopause. As we age, our bodies become less efficient at absorbing calcium, and medications that we often need when we get older interfere with our calcium absorption. Premenopausal women (and postmenopausal women who use hormone therapy) should consume at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. Postmenopausal women not using hormone therapy or anyone older than 65 needs 1,500 milligrams of calcium daily. Dairy products are a great source of calcium, but they're not the only way to get your recommended daily allowance. Almonds, broccoli, cooked kale, canned salmon with bones, oats, and soy products are also rich in calcium. You can also consider taking a daily calcium supplement.

· Increase your vitamin-D intake. Vitamin D is also important for reducing your risk of osteoporosis. This nutrient improves bone health by helping calcium absorption, as well as improving muscle strength. Women of all ages need between 800 and 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D each day. Spending about 30 minutes a day in the sunlight can provide an adequate amount of vitamin D, but it's also present in oily fish such as sardines and tuna as well as egg yolks. Many calcium supplements have added vitamin D.

· Exercise regularly. Exercise can help strengthen bones and slow bone loss. It's best to start exercising regularly at a young age and continue doing so throughout your life, but it will benefit your bones no matter how old you are. Strength-training exercises build muscles and bones in your arms and upper spine, and weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging and stair-climbing can help strengthen the bones in your legs, hips and lower spine.

· Other lifestyle factors that can help prevent osteoporosis include:

Quitting smoking - cigarette smoking is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis, and limiting your alcohol intake . Because smoking increases bone loss, decreases the amount of estrogen a woman's body makes and reduces the absorption of calcium in the intestine. Women should also avoid excessive alcohol (more than two drinks a day), because it may decrease bone formation and reduce your body's ability to absorb calcium. During and after menopause, hormone therapy can reduce your risk of osteoporosis.

If every women do this steps daily, the writer believe that every women can avoid from osteoporosis. It is better making some simple changes now can help reduce women’s risk of developing osteoporosis later on if this steps can conduct from young. Because when we young, our body can produce hormone oestrogen much better rather than in old age.

In our body, bone is a living tissue that is constantly repairing itself. It is made of a hard outer shell, which contains a mesh of collagen ( tough elastic fibres ), minerals, blood vessels and bone marrow. This mesh looks a bit like a honeycomb, with spaces between the different parts. Healthy bones are very dense, and the spaces within bones are small.

Bones are repaired and reinforced by a range of proteins and minerals, which are absorbed from the bloodstream. They include calcium, phosphorus, proteins and amino acids. The growth of sex hormones controls the amount of mineral substance deposited in the bones. Changes in hormone levels can therefore affect the strength of the bones. Especially, the female hormone oestrogen offers some protection against osteoporosis. After the menopause, oestrogen levels fall, often causing the bones to thin quickly.

So, in old age we can not produce hormone oestrogen much better. Because about it the body becomes less able to replace worn-out bone. Special cells within the bones, called living bone cells, are no longer able to break down old bone and renew it with healthy, dense new bone. Besides that, in old age we also lose a certain amount of bone, causing the bones to become thinner. The bones become fragile and more likely to break (fracture), particularly the bones of the spine, wrist and hips.

CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

3.1 Conclusion

In this chapter, the writer wants to extend the points of conclusion that :

· Women is risk to attack by osteoporosis than men. It is because women have many changes in the hormonal.

· Osteoporosis happens more commonly in old age ( around age 35 ) when the body becomes less able to replace worn-out bone and lose a certain amount of bone. Because of that special cells within the bones, called living bone cells, are no longer able to break down old bone and renew it with healthy, dense new bone and the bones become fragile and more likely to break (fracture), particularly the bones of the spine, wrist and hips.

· Women can be attacked by osteoporosis after menopause, when estrogen levels fall. Besides that women who stop menstruating early because of heredity, surgery or lots of physical exercise may lose large amounts of bone tissue early in life. Because about it, women commonly lose 30-50% of their bone mass over their lifetimes.

· There are several signs of osteoporosis include frequent broken bones or fractures, low back pain or a hunched back, get shorter over time. These problems tend to occur after a lot of bone calcium has already been lost.

· But, osteoporosis can be prevented if we become familiar with the disease, increase our calcium intake ( almonds, broccoli, cooked kale, canned salmon with bones, oats, and so on ), increase our vitamin-D intake ( oily fish and egg yolks ), make some exercise regularly, stop smoking and alcohol.

3.2 Suggestion

The writer wants to suggest that :

· If you want to avoid from osteoporosis, you must keep your body from smoking and alcohol.

· If you feel unwell when you become old, you must check your body and your condition in the hospital.

· Besides that, increase healthy food and supplements like vitamin-D is important things for our body to prevent osteoporosis.