What Is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis—which causes weak, porous bone—is a major health issue, especially for people over 50. And there are plenty of myths connected to this condition that affects tens of millions of people each year. Healthline, with the help of leading bone-health expert Dr. Deborah Sellmeyer, dispels some of the most common myths about osteoporosis.

Click through the slideshow to learn the facts about osteoporosis.

A Natural Part of Aging

While osteoporosis and resulting fractures are more likely to occur as you get older, that doesn't mean they are inevitable. "There are a lot of things you can do to prevent fractures," says Dr. Sellmeyer, who heads up the Johns Hopkins Metabolic Bone Center in Baltimore, Maryland. These include getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and exercise.

Only Women Get It

No. Well, yes, but no. While it is certainly true that more women than men develop osteoporosis, men still can be affected. In fact, one in five American men over 50 will suffer from osteoporosis (compared to one in three women). And, according to Dr. Sellmeyer, younger men are more likely to fracture bones than women.

No Need to Worry Until You're Older

About 90 percent of your bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and age 20 in boys. "Not a time when everyone's thinking about their post-menopausal fracture risk," says Dr. Sellmeyer. "But it's never too early to build bone density and develop the best possible bones for the rest of your life." So yes, start worrying now, and develop good nutritional habits to preempt any possible issues later in life.

Broken Bones Are the Only Danger

Osteoporosis is a serious and sometimes fatal condition. Osteoporosis leads to hip fractures and, according to Dr. Sellemeyer, around 25 percent of people die within the first six to12 months after a hip fracture. Why? Hip replacement surgery can lead to problems like arrhythmias, anesthesia complications, pneumonia, heart attacks, or infections in older people. Studies show that a 50-year-old woman has a similar lifetime risk of dying from hip fracture as from breast cancer.

Bones Only Break During Falls

Most people fracture bones during a fall, but sometimes, weak bones simply break. "There are people who have spontaneous fractures," Dr. Sellmeyer says. "One person just leaned over the bed of a flat-bed truck, and that pressure was enough to cause a fracture." If you have osteoporosis, you can get a stress fracture in your foot simply from walking. "Even with hip fractures," says Dr. Sellmeyer. "Some people will say 'I heard it and I felt it, but I didn't fall.' "

You Can Feel Your Bones Get Weaker

Unfortunately, you can't really see or feel oncoming osteoporosis. You may not know you've got it until you've broken a bone. You don't feel your bones get weaker as you lose bone density, nor do you really start to suffer any specific adverse lifestyle consequences. "It's a silent disease," says Dr. Sellmeyer. "There's no way to tell if you have it other than to get a bone density test."

Pourous Bones Can't Get Stronger

According to Dr. Sellmeyer, someone with osteoporosis is never going to get back into the "normal" range of bone density. In fact, a diagnosis of osteoporosis might mean you've actually had low bone density your whole life. In that case, says Dr. Sellmeyer, "trying to get your bone density higher than it's ever been your whole life is not possible." However, it is possible to rebuild bone. Osteoporosis medications can increase bone density by a few percent per year over three to four years.

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