Our bones are living and growing tissues mostly made of collagen. Collagen is a type of protein that provides softness to the bones. Moreover, calcium phosphate aids in providing mineral to the bones to give them strength and makes them hard. Collagen and calcium work together to make flexible enough to tackle stress. When a disease builds up in the bones, the bones stop growing and start losing its density. This disease is called osteoporosis. In osteoporosis, the bones become weak and tend to break when faced with stress. Causes and symptoms of osteoporosis are further discussed below.

Causes of osteoporosis
For the bones to keep growing and remain strong, there are two processes, bone formation and bone resorption. Resorption is the phenomenon of the reabsorption into tissues. When there is an imbalance in these two processes, the condition of osteoporosis occurs.

Phosphate and calcium are the two essential minerals for the formation of the bone. Calcium contributes in keeping the heart and other organs of the body healthy and running. The body restores the calcium from the bones, so the blood calcium level is maintained. When the bones are not getting enough calcium from the diet, bone production and tissue suffer and become weak.

One of the leading causes of osteoporosis is lack of some hormones. In the case of women, the hormone is estrogen while in cases of men, the hormone is androgen. Most women, when they cross the age of 60 are diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Certain things like smoking and eating disorders are also responsible in most cases for causing an imbalance in process of bone formation and resorption. Poor or inadequate diet and lifestyle leads to many troubles including osteoporosis. Alcohol consumption is another cause of osteoporosis. People suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis are also at risk of suffering from osteoporosis.

Here are some symptoms of osteoporosis
The symptoms of osteoporosis don’t occur unless the disease is in its last stages. Most people who have osteoporosis don’t see symptoms or come to know about it unless they get a fracture. However, there are some symptoms such as receding gums, weakened grip, and weak nails of osteoporosis that occur in the initial stages of the diseases. If you get yourself checked for osteoporosis when there are such symptoms, it can be identified at an early stage and that would help you with the early treatment that is more effective than the ones in the end.

When osteoporosis is in the last stages, the symptoms are more clear and direct. There is mild pain in the bones or muscles of lower back area and neck. Apart from the pain, another symptom of osteoporosis is height loss. As and when the disease become denser, the mild pain turns sharp and spreads to other places from lower back and neck. When the pain or symptom of osteoporosis is ignored for too long, bones can break causing a fracture. Hence, it is essential to know about all the causes and symptoms of osteoporosis, so it can be prevented before things get worse.