Osteoporosis: The Skeletal System

The skeletal system has several functions. These functions include supporting the body, protecting the vital organs, providing a point of attachment for skeletal muscles, giving the body shape, and aiding in the formation of red blood cells, white blood cells, and white blood cells, and platelet. In addition, the bones of the skeletal system also store the body’s main supply of calcium. Osteoporosis is a condition that causes the bones to weaken and become fragile due to a lack of calcium in the bones. This condition may lead to a fracture. These fractures happen most commonly in the hip, wrist, or spine. This occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep up with the depletion of old bone.
There are typically no symptoms that appear in …show more content…
Some of these factors include gender, age, race, family history, and body proportion. The condition is most commonly found in females of Caucasian or Asian descent. The older a person gets, the more likely they are to develop Osteoporosis. Furthermore, if there is a family history of Osteoporosis, especially in a parent or sibling, there is a higher risk of acquiring this condition. A smaller body frame size also creates a higher risk, since they may have less bone mass all together. Another factor that plays a role in the onset of Osteoporosis is the levels of sex hormones existing in a person. Bones tend to be weaker when there are decreased levels of sex hormones present. One of the most major risk factors is the diminution of estrogen in women at menopause. Treatments for breast cancer and prostate cancer also reduce the amount of sex hormones in the body and are more likely to accelerate bone loss. Another factor that may contribute is the over-secretion of the thyroid hormone. Too much of this hormone can speed up bone loss as well. This can result from an overactive thyroid or too much thyroid medication being used to treat an underactive thyroid. Other glands may also secrete too much of a hormone, such as the parathyroid gland or the adrenal …show more content…
The body needs certain nutrients to thrive, one of them being calcium. If enough calcium is not received, then the bones may become weakened. Eating disorders also can lead to bone frailty due to lack of nutrition. There are also several medical conditions that increases the risk of Osteoporosis. The may consist of inflammatory bowel disease, kidney or liver disease, cancer, lupus, multiple myeloma, Rheumatoid arthritis, and Celiac disease. Additionally, the lifestyle choices people may significantly increase the risk for having this condition. Some lifestyle choices that may prevent medical problems would be living an active lifestyle, no tobacco use, and limited alcohol consumption. Starting a healthy lifestyle early in life can aid in avoiding any health conditions or complications later in