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Symptoms of Osteoporosis

by Editorial Staff and Contributors

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.

REFERENCES:

National Institutes of Health website. Available at: http://www.nih.gov/ .

National Osteoporosis Foundation website. Available at: http://www.nof.org/ .

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Last reviewed September 2011 by Marcin Chwistek, MD
Last Updated: 9/22/2011

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