I am a second year health and social care student and received a distinction in this unit
unit 14 physiological disorders and their care this essay focuses on osteoporosis
Page 2- Overview
Page 3- 4 How osteoporosis is caused
Page 5- Signs and symptoms
How does the condition impact on the function of the body?
Page 6 –What are the weaknesses of the condition
Page 7- How does the weaknesses of the condition affect their PIES
Page 8- Different severities of osteoporosis
Page 9 – How is the condition diagnosed
How accurate are the procedures of diagnosing the condition?
Page 10- Are there any issues with the DEXA scan?
How important is the scan with the diagnosis procedure?
Page 11 – Can you diagnose osteoporosis without the scan
Benefits of the scan
Is one method of diagnosis more effective than others?
Page 12- What treatment and care is in place for those with osteoporosis
Page 13- Care plans in place for people with osteoporosis
What care settings are involved with the care of people living
with osteoporosis?
Page 14 -How effective is the treatment in treating people?
Page 14-16 Strengths and weaknesses of treatment
Page 17 – References
1
,Osteoporosis
‘Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterised by low bone mass,
micro-architectural deterioration of tissue leading to bone fragility, and
consequent increase in fracture risk’ (wikepedia,2021)
Overview
Osteoporosis sometimes referred to as ‘Silent disease’ is a health condition
that weakens bones, which makes them fragile and more likely to break. This
condition affects over 3 million people in the UK. According to NHS (2019)
more than 500,000 people receive treatment in hospitals for the fragility in
their bones (bones that break after falling from standing height or less) every
year as a result of the health condition. Osteoporosis can slowly develop over
several years and most commonly only diagnosed when a sudden impact or fall
causes a bone to fracture. This condition affects both men and women and can
also vary in age but is found to be most common in older people but can still
affect younger people.
Bone is a living active tissue that constantly renews itself. Old bone tissue gets
broken down by cells known as osteoclasts and is then replaced by new bone
material produced by cells called osteoblasts. The balance between old bones
being broken down and the formation of new bone being formed changes at
different stages of your life. In childhood and adolescence new bone is formed
very quickly. This stage then allows our bones to grow bigger and stronger
(denser). Our bone density then reaches its peak by our mid to late 20s.
After this stage, new bone is produced at the same rate as older bone is
broken down. This then means the adult skeleton is completely renewed over
a period of 7-10 years. From about the age of 40 your bone starts to break
down quicker than your new bone is being replaced, this means that your
bones lose its density.
(Versus arthritis N.D)
2
, Your bones in your early adult life, are at your thickest and strongest until late
20s. Around the age of 35, you gradually start losing bone. Although this
happens to everyone in their lifetime, people who develop osteoporosis can
lose bone much faster than normal. This means people that have this problem
are at a greater risk of a fracture.
Bones are made up of minerals, mainly
calcium salts that are bound together by
strong collagen fibres. Our bones have a
hard, thick outer shell known as (cortical or
compact bone) which can be easily seen on
x-rays. Inside this is a softer, spongy mesh of
bone called the trabecular bone which has a
honeycomb-like structure. When bone is
affected by osteoporosis the holes in the
honeycomb structure increase in size and
the overall density is lower which is what
makes the bones more likely to fracture.
How is osteoporosis caused?
The most common injuries in people with osteoporosis are:
Broken wrist
Broken hip
Broken spinal bones
Men
The cause of osteoporosis in men, in most cases is unknown. Although there is
research to show that there is a link to the male hormone testosterone, which
helps to keep the bones healthy. “Men also need a small amount of oestrogen,
says Mystkowski. Oestrogen preserves bone density -- in both men and women.
In fact, all men normally convert testosterone to oestrogen to build bone mass.”
(Taylor, 2009) This shows that testosterone can takes part Testosterone levels
decline through old age and this article suggests that oestrogen, converted from
testosterone helps preserve bone density and build bone mass. Due to
testosterone levels decreasing through old age and osteoporosis being most
common in later adulthood, this could suggest that due to low testosterone levels
3
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