Anyone can get osteoporosis because of its all-encompassing risk factors
. In a recent statistics, no less than 10 million Americans have been diagnosed with this brittle bone illness and another 34 million more might be added soon. For interventions to be implemented sooner and that the progress of the disease will be prevented, discovering the disease at an early stage is important.
There is much effort people exert in preventing or treating osteoporosis although some may not be very effective. For example, drugs like soy supplements that not diminish symptoms of osteoporosis are being included in their therapy since many believed they are beneficial.
To find out if you are likely to develop osteoporosis, your bone mineral density (BMD) is being computed. Osteoporosis screenings play a very significant role in your therapy and here are some of the diagnostics procedures you might encounter during checkup.
Dexa Scan (Dual X-ray Absorptiometry or DXA)
Most health care providers prefer DXA to measure BMD. The DXA scanner works by releasing 2 x-ray beams with varying amount of energy, one has a higher level and the other has lower. BMD is measured by the amount of x-rays passing through the bone which profiles their.
Quantitative Computed Tomography
QCT bone densitometry, on the other hand, requires higher amount of exposure to radiation, not to mention its higher cost, making it less common in general clinical use. The method uses a CT scanner to get an accurate status of your bone. This 3-dimensional technique though is 2-3 times more sensitive than DXA making it the most accurate tool to measure bone density.
Ultrasonography
The ultrasound is a relatively new diagnostic tool to measure BMD which does not require the use of radiation. An ultrasound beam is directed to a specific area in which the scattering and the absorption of the waves will allow assessment of the bone density. This fairly new tool is still not as precise as the previous two techniques and perhaps more research are still being conducted about it.
Life with osteoporosis is never a joke. The disease itself is already a big distress and the adverse effects of its treatment drug bisphosphonates may also be another. Like in the case of some long-term Fosamax users who are now contending for a Fosamax lawsuit against the drug company after allegedly being harmed by the drug.