Member: One of my friends was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis. It really caught her off guard. I’m wondering if there are any warning signs I can look for, or anything I can do to keep myself from getting it at all. What would you recommend? —Alice, Windom
Doctor: Thanks for your question, Alice!
As you’ll also learn in our Healthy Aging section, as we get older, we are at risk of developing osteoporosis, which causes bones to become less dense, making them weak and brittle. The bones can become so weak that they are more likely to break or fracture even from mild falls. Osteoporosis is diagnosed through a bone scan that tests the density of your bones, so it’s critical to talk to your doctor about getting a bone density scan after a fall.
Osteoporosis is sometimes referred to as a “silent disease” because symptoms like pain or weakness don’t show up in its early stages. If you fall and fracture a bone, it can actually reveal that you have osteoporosis. And unfortunately for patients with osteoporosis, fractures can take longer to heal or cause permanent disability.