Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition where your bones become thinner and weaker, so they break more easily. More than 3.5 million people in the UK have it. Breaks often happen after a minor fall or bump that would not normally break a bone. These are called fragility fractures.

Symptoms

Osteoporosis usually has no symptoms until a bone breaks. The most common breaks are in the:

• wrist
• hip
• spine, which can cause back pain, loss of height or a stooped back

Who is at risk?

Everyone's bones get thinner with age, but you are more likely to get osteoporosis if you:

• are a woman who has been through the menopause, especially an early menopause
• have a parent who broke a hip
• have taken steroid tablets for 3 months or more
• have conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, coeliac disease, Crohn's disease or an overactive thyroid
• have a low body weight, smoke, or drink a lot of alcohol
• have had an eating disorder

Getting diagnosed

Your GP may work out your risk of a break using a tool such as FRAX or QFracture. You may be sent for a DEXA scan, a quick and painless X-ray that measures how dense your bones are. The result is given as a T-score. A score of -2.5 or lower means osteoporosis.

Read about treatment for osteoporosis.