Symptoms of Osteoporosis
En Español (Spanish Version)Osteoporosis is often referred to as a silent disease. The associated bone loss usually occurs without symptoms. Since many people mistakenly believe that all medical conditions cause symptoms. As a result, they do not see a doctor until the condition is far advanced.
Kyphosis
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In the early stages of osteoporosis, there is usually no pain or other symptoms. Once the bones have been weakened, you may have the following symptoms:
-
Collapsed vertebra, which may initially be felt or seen in the form of:
- Severe back pain
- Loss of height over time, with stooped posture (kyphosis). With normal aging, everyone has some loss of height. However, a loss of one inch or more is significant and may indicate osteoporosis.
- Fracture of a bone, such as the wrist or hip, due to the bones becoming over-brittle. This is sometimes the first symptom of osteoporosis.
National Institutes of Health website. Available at:
http://www.nih.gov/
.
National Osteoporosis Foundation
website. Available at:
http://www.nof.org/
.
Last Reviewed September 2011