How could I have known that the tiny water I mistakenly spilt on the floor could put my granny in so much pain? My mum keeps telling me that it’s not my fault but I feel so guilty over and over. I can’t simply put the scene off my mind. The memory of how it happened is still fresh in my mind. I remember vividly that Saturday morning when I wore my favorite blue gown, neatly dressed in anticipation of the tour my parents promised me, for making good grades this term. I was so disappointed when my parents told me that the tour would be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances and all I could do was to grumble and try not to cry. Amidst the grumbling, I was told to get a glass of water and I carelessly spilled some, on the floor. Before I could get a mop to clean it up, Grandma already stepped on it, slipped and fell.
“It’s okay” dad said. “She’ll be fine” mum said. But the look on Granny’s face said otherwise. My momentary worry turned to grief when the doctor confirmed that Granny broke her bones. “That was just a minor fall” mum screamed! “Her bones were already porous” The Doctor replied. She obviously had undiagnosed Osteoporosis for some time now…….
I felt so bad. It’s my entire fault I cried, if only I wasn’t grumbling needlessly, perhaps this wouldn’t have happened in the first place. I was relieved to learn some tips on how to prevent Osteoporosis. Off course, I don’t want my mum to break her bones due to minor falls too. I hope you find these tips useful also.
You can prevent Osteoporosis by:
- Increasing the intake of calcium – Calcium is one of the mineral constituent in a bone. It helps to keep the bone dense thereby preventing it from getting porous. Increasing the rate of calcium involves eating more of foods rich in calcium such as green vegetables, fruits, yoghurts, egg yolk and nuts.
- Increasing the intake of Vitamin D – Vitamin D is essential for building strong bones. Sources of vitamin D includes: foods fortified with Vitamin D such as cereals, Orange juice and some dairy products; beef liver; cheese; egg yolk and fatty fish like tuna, mackerel and salmon. It is also essential to get vitamin D3. This is the natural form of vitamin D that your body makes from sunlight. Aim to get 10-30minutes of sunlight several times per week.
- Avoiding Smoking – Smoking is not recommended especially for people below age 30. Smoking affects your body’s ability to absorb Calcium. This means that you may eat lots of calcium but your body will not be able to absorb as much as required. It makes your bones to become porous and can easily break/fracture. Smoking also lowers the levels of vitamin D in your body. It also changes the hormone level in your body. All these will reduce your bone mass and make you susceptible to Osteoporosis.
- Limiting alcohol consumption – Alcohol reduces your bone density and weakens your bone’s mechanical properties. It decreases bone formation and increases parathyroid hormone which leaches calcium from the bone. Excess alcohol kills the bone-making cells (Osteoblasts). Even when fracture occurs, excess alcohol slows down the rate of healing. Hence the need to limit the intake of alcohol to prevent Osteoporosis.
- Exercising – Exercise is very important for building strong bones especially for young people. It is also required to maintain bone strength for older adults. The more you exercise, the more your bones build more cells and gets stronger. Exercise in Childhood helps to build bigger and stronger bones for life. Walking as little as 3-5 miles a week can help build your bone health. However, weight-bearing exercises are the best for your bones. These are exercises that force you to work against gravity. They include: hiking, jogging, climbing stairs and playing tennis. Resistance exercises such as lifting weights can also strengthen bones.
There is no cure for Osteoporosis. It can only be managed. Most individuals do not know that their bones are porous until fracture occurs. It is therefore essential for you to try and prevent it as soon as possible. If nothing is done to manage Osteoporosis, simple actions such as sneezing, coughing, making a sudden turn or bumping into a hard surface can result to a fracture.
Prevent Osteoporosis now!
I hope you enjoyed reading this article. Have a beautiful day and keep in mind, a life of Probity is worth living!
