Are Cancer Risks Putting You Off Osteoporosis Drugs?
Weighing up wellness treatment plans to protect our bones can be tricky if we take on board the side-effects of bone health drugs. Our bone mineral density (BMD) naturally declines with age, but there are medications to slow down this natural process and reduce our risk of fractures.
Side-effects Vs Fractures
Fractures when we have bone health problems can severely affect our wellbeing, especially if breakages mean we can no longer care for ourselves independently. So following a diagnosis of osteoporosis, doctors may prescribe us medication and review our risk for falls, so we can make our daily environments as safe as possible. We have osteoporosis when our BMD falls to a specific level and it occurs when we lose too much of our bone density. Some drugs like bisphosphonates reduce the numbers of cells – called osteoblasts – that break down bone, while other drugs like calcitonin-salmon can be prescribed that also promote BMD. Bisphosphonates are a common medication to counteract osteoporosis but some studies have linked them with cancer of the gullet. Other side effects include stomach pain and fractures to the jaw or femur.
Other treatment routes
It’s very important to try and preserve BMD after a diagnosis of osteoporosis, so taking medications may be the best solution for us. We can also try and care for our bones naturally, although it’s necessary to get qualified medical opinions on our treatment. Doctors advise us to boost the level of calcium, Vitamin D, C, B, and B12 in our diets and include other minerals in meals or via supplement-form, such as zinc and manganese. Weight-bearing and resistance exercise builds BMD in our youth and can preserve it as we age, especially if we do exercises like this several times a week. Reducing stress can cut cortisol levels, which is a hormone linked to bone damage over time.
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