Osteoporosis occurs when a person significantly losses his/her bone density. This condition can make the bones extremely weak and brittle thereby increasing the risk of fractures. Osteoporosis is commonly found to develop in older adults.
The early diagnosis of osteoporosis might not be possible, as this condition does not create any noticeable symptoms during the initial developmental stages. You might be able to diagnose its presence only when a fracture occurs.
Different tests are used by doctors to detect the presence of osteoporosis. The diagnosis of osteoporosis can take several steps including physical exams and other screening tests. The following are some of the important steps involved in osteoporosis diagnosis:
Taking A Medical History
If you have a family history of osteoporosis, then you are at a higher risk of developing this condition. So your doctor might enquire if anyone of your family members is suffering from this condition.
Additionally, a lot of lifestyle factors can increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. They include unhealthy diet, smoking, drinking habits, lack of physical activities, etc.
People suffering from certain health conditions have a great risk of developing osteoporosis. Some of these conditions are cancer, celiac disease, liver or kidney disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Your doctor might ask different questions regarding these factors for determining whether you have a chance of developing this condition. In addition to this, the doctor can also ask questions about your history of bone fractures and back pain, developing a stooped posture, or loss of height over time. This can be beneficial to find out the presence of osteoporosis symptoms.
Performing A Physical Exam
A physical exam can also be performed by the doctor to determine the presence of osteoporosis. Some of the common osteoporosis tests that can be performed by the doctor are measuring your height and comparing it with the previous measurements, blood tests to determine the levels of vitamin D and overall metabolic activity of the bones, etc.
Bone Density Test
This test will be performed by your doctor if he suspects that you are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. One of the commonly performed bone density tests is dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. It includes using X-ray images for measuring bone density.
Blood And Urine Test
Some medical conditions can lead to bone loss. They include thyroid and parathyroid malfunctioning. Blood and urine tests will be performed by your doctor for ruling out these conditions.
If you suspect that you are suffering from this condition, then contact your doctor for performing osteoporosis diagnosis tests.
