Diagnosing Osteoporosis
February 21st, 2012Anyone can get osteoporosis because of its all-encompassing risk factors. As of the latest count, more than 10 million Americans, both men and women, have already been identified to have acquired this brittle bone disease with 34 million more at high risk. Detecting this disease at an early rate is essential so that interventions are done to prevent the disease from further developing. As a result, it was discovered that osteoporosis can be prevented through protein-rich diet.
Many people push hard in preventing or treating osteoporosis, although some of their measures may not be therapeutic at all. For example, drugs like soy supplements that not diminish symptoms of osteoporosis are being included in their therapy since many believed they are beneficial.
To find out if you are likely to develop osteoporosis, your bone mineral density (BMD) is being computed. The role of screening for osteoporosis is very crucial on your therapy; hence, listed below are some procedures that you might get to meet during checkup.
Dexa Scan (Dual X-ray Absorptiometry or DXA)
DXA is the most preferred technique to measure BMD. A DXA scanner produces 2 x-ray beams with different energy levels, one beam with high energy while the other with low energy level. BMD is measured by the amount of x-rays passing through the bone which profiles their.
Quantitative Computed Tomography
QCT bone densitometry uses high amount of exposure to radiation and costs a lot of money causing it to be unavailable for general clinical use. The method uses a CT scanner to get an accurate status of your bone. This technique is 3-dimensional which makes it 2-3 times more accurate than the DXA scan.
Ultrasonography
Quite a new diagnostic tool to determine your BMD, the ultrasound does not use radiation. The BMD is computed with the help of ultrasonic beam directed to a specific area to let waves be scattered and absorbed. Perhaps because it’s a relatively new tool, the results of ultrasound however, is not as precise as the previous two methods and considerable studies are still being conducted.
It’s hard to live by everyday when you have to deal with osteoporosis. The bouts of the disease itself may already be a great suffering; and if you are taking bisphosphonates, the adverse effects of the drug may also be another. Like in the case of some long-term Fosamax users who are now contending for a lawsuit against the drug company after allegedly being harmed by the drug. Now, as these lawsuits kept on increasing in number, the makers of the drug have to face a Fosamax class action lawsuit.
References:
newportbodyscan.com/OsteoporosisFAQ%27s.htm#6
webmd.com/osteoporosis/guide/dexa-scan
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