Our body normally needs calcium and other minerals and they are stored in our bones. Point is that the bones are porous living structures. A systemic skeletal disorder characterised by low bone mass is osteoporosis. Persons with this issue would have bone tissue deterioration resulting in bones becoming fragile. This could then lead to risk of fractures.
It must be noted that osteoporosis could be due to lower than normal maximum bone mass and greater than normal bone loss. In women, after menopause, there would be more bone loss and it could be due to low levels of estrogen in them. Various diseases due to which we could get osteoporosis issues are anorexia, alcoholism, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism etc. There are also chances of some medications to increase the rate of bone loss in us and these are chemotherapy, anti-seizure medications, proton pump inhibitors etc
There are some early warning signs of osteoporosis issue and they are
Easy breaking of nails:
This could be an important early warning sign of osteoporosis. It is known that disulfide bonds present in nails make proteins to stick to one another. When the disulfide bond becomes weak, then our nails would chip or break easily. Point here is that it could hold true also for the disulphide bonds in the bones. Weak nails could indicate that more calcium is needed.
Teeth loss and bleeding gums:
Receding gums and teeth loss could be due to loss of bone density in the lower jaw. It is known that the jawbone supports teeth. This is also an early warning sign of osteoporosis
Inability to grip things:
There are times when opening a tin can or turning the door knob etc could become difficult. This could be due to low bone density. Persons would also find it difficult to get up from the floor. It is revealed that there is a direct relationship between the handgrip strength and bone density in the forearm, hip etc especially in women. Point is that strengthening these with weight intensive exercises etc could also help with posture issues.
Allergic to certain foods or having certain health issues:
Those persons who are lactose intolerant or with Celiac disease etc, their body would be unable to digest the foods that also help to rebuild bones. When steroids are used to treat Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis issue, then it could also lead to bone loss. It is brought out that women who have missed their periods for 2 or 3 months continuously due to excessive exercise, those with low BMI etc could develop osteoporosis later.
Frequent cramps and aches due to sedentary lifestyle:
There are some persons who have a sedentary lifestyle or work from home etc. itit would involve sitting at the desk for a long duration of time. They could have vitamin D deficiency in them needed for strong bones. Due to the lack of movement, the muscles would become stiff and there could be frequent cramps and aches in legs during night. This could reveal that the body has low levels of calcium, magnesium etc.