Osteoporosis … complications that worsen in the winter season – Health...

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Bone and joint pain increases during autumn and winter for many people, and complications are exacerbated by the limited absorption of vitamin D, which the body takes from sunlight that is not present during the winter season, and blood flow to all areas of the body decreases to keep the blood warm around the heart. This leads to stiffness and pain in the joints, according to Dubai Health Authority doctors. Ignoring problems with bones and joints can lead to further deterioration, which can cause spasms and fractures.

Dr. Amal Al-Jaziri, a consultant and head of the elderly unit in the primary health care services sector, said that osteoporosis, which is known as the silent disease, usually does not show any symptoms in the early stages of bone loss, but once the bones are weakened as a result of osteoporosis, symptoms may appear, and there Symptoms include easier bone fractures than expected (in the pelvis of the thighs, in the vertebrae, in the joints of the palms of the hands, or in other bones), with short stature with the passage of time and the position of arching forward in the spine.

Risk factors

Al-Jaziri pointed out that the risk factors for osteoporosis include gender, as women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men and age, so the older the age, the greater the risk of osteoporosis and ethnicity, as the risk of osteoporosis increases for people of white skin or of Asian origin. In addition to the family history, as the presence of one of the parents or brothers or sisters with osteoporosis exposes the person to a greater degree of danger, especially if the parent has previously suffered a broken hip and body mass index, less than or equal to 19 in addition to smoking and alcohol consumption.

DEXA

And it showed that bone density is measured by DEXA (Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry – DEXA), which is an x-ray machine that measures the density of bone in the bones of the spine and pelvis, as the bone density imaging method with DEXA (bone absorption measurement by double X-ray) is the best imaging method. This procedure is easy, fast and gives highly accurate results.

Methods of prevention

On the most important methods of preventing osteoporosis, Dr. Al-Jaziri said: You must maintain physical activity and exercise, abstain from smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages, reduce consumption of caffeine and soft drinks, and be exposed to the sun to increase the production of vitamin D and eat milk products and leafy vegetables because they are an important source. Calcium and prevent falls through the use of anti-slip floor brushes and reduce eating red meat because it contains phosphorus, which needs an amount of calcium to balance it, which leads to reduce the proportion of calcium in the blood.

Reasons

Dr. Al-Jaziri attributed osteoporosis to a deficiency in consuming sufficient amounts of calcium and vitamin “D” over long periods of life, asking patients to consume these quantities of vitamins when symptoms of the disease, which is called: “the hidden thief or the silent disease”, appeared due to the absence of symptoms. Except when fractures occur.

A recent study found that taking vitamin D helps our immune systems stay in balance during the winter season.

Styles of life

For his part, Dr. Ali Al-Sayed, Director of the Pharmaceutical Services Department at the Dubai Health Authority, affirmed that the problem of vitamin D deficiency has reached the stage of an epidemic, which affects adults and children, males and females of different ages.

He pointed out that with the change of lifestyle and the lack of exposure to the sun and nature, the problem of vitamin D deficiency began to appear even among young people and adolescents, and it is now used for newborns and infants.

Doses

And on how to take the vitamin, Dr. Al-Sayed said: It varies from one patient to another according to the level of vitamin D in the body. The patient is initially given tablets or capsules containing 50,000 IU every week for 8 weeks, and then 5,000 IU daily for two months And then examining vitamin “D” if it is less than 30 ng, the dose is repeated for 8 weeks, and then given preventive treatment 800-1000 international units or 50 thousand units every month, or adequate exposure to the sun for 30 minutes, hands and feet uncovered twice a week after Sunrise in two hours and before noon, as well as afternoon two hours before sunset.

According to the International Osteoporosis Organization, every 3 seconds a non-vertebral fracture occurs due to osteoporosis, and every 22 seconds a case of a vertebral fracture resulting from osteoporosis occurs.

On the other hand, and in a study published in the US National Library of Medicine, taking vitamin D can reduce the risk of respiratory infections such as colds and influenza, as vitamin D helps our immune systems to stay balanced during the winter season.

The study concluded that taking this vitamin supplement during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza.

In another study published in the Journal of Psychiatry, researchers noted that study participants with depression had low levels of vitamin D, and the same analysis found statistically that people who had a vitamin D deficiency were more likely to have depression.

a study

A recent study published in the US National Library of Medicine indicated that vitamin D strengthens the immune system, improves mood, protects against depression, and protects against osteoporosis.

The lack of vitamin “D” in the body results in an increase in the activity of the thyroid gland, which results in osteoporosis. Doctors agree on the necessity to use the natural source of vitamin “D” as much as possible, and it is sufficient to provide the body with the vitamin Exposure to sunlight for a period of 5 to 20 minutes, However, it is recommended for those without sun exposure for sufficient periods of time to obtain the vitamin through nutritional supplements.

Spreading awareness of healthy lifestyles and proactive prevention of disease

A number of “health statement” respondents asserted that promoting awareness of healthy lifestyle patterns is a proactive prevention of osteoporosis, pointing out that walking in the morning and before sunset and going out to parks during the day will maintain normal levels of vitamin D, which plays an important role in preserving On bone health.

Badriya Moftah explained that, to avoid developing osteoporosis, due to vitamin D deficiency, exposure to sunlight is essential, as it is not possible to limit food sources to obtain the daily needs of the vitamin, but rather it requires achieving the triad of protection, which is exposure to sunlight. Food, and nutritional supplements.

In turn, Nujoud Muhammad said: Her work conditions force her to drive for long hours, which exposed her to osteoporosis as a result of not exercising, as well as not following a proper diet because she does not find enough time for that, pointing out that she either has to choose between healthy and strong bones, And between skin free of wrinkles due to exposure to the sun.

healthy food

Ziad Tariq called for spreading awareness of healthy foods that provide their bodies with vitamin (D), indicating that the employee who is forced to spend long hours of the day in the office, how can he be exposed to the sun? And this requires him to maintain proper food intake, especially if he works long hours a day And he only has one hour during the day during which he can eat his food, indicating that it is not enough to go to find a place that provides healthy food, so he is forced to eat fast meals on a daily basis, and he does not have enough time to go outside the office and be exposed to the sun.

He added that he was surprised by his recent tests that he suffers from osteoporosis, despite his belief that this disease only affects the elderly, and that it is not dangerous.

Gymnastics

For her part, Suha Muhammad Al-Saeed confirmed that she did not notice her silent disease because she did not follow exercise or healthy food habits, due to her working conditions, indicating that she began to feel pain in the bones and upon examination she discovered that she was at the beginning of the injury, although she believes She is still below the age at which women can be infected with it, and her doctor asked her to stop the progression of the disease, by following his advice and consuming adequate amounts of calcium and all types of cheese because they contain a high percentage of calcium.

As for Aisha Habib Al-Balushi, she asked the various employers to provide their employees with sports equipment and to allocate them an hour a day or half an hour at least to encourage them to exercise exercises that contribute to limiting the spread of the silent disease, especially in light of the lifestyle that prevents many people from exercising or Pay attention to nutritional health.

Sun rays

For his part, Dr. Anwar Al Hammadi, Consultant and Head of the Dermatology Division at the Emirates Medical Association, explained that despite the importance of exposure to sunlight as it provides the body with vitamin (D), it is considered the first enemy of the skin in the event that the patient or the patient is exposed to it for continuous long periods. Therefore, we should take advantage of it without harming ourselves.

Dr. Al Hammadi said: The importance of using sunblocks lies in preventing allergy from sunlight, especially for people with SLE and rosacea to avoid sunburn, and the use of these creams is important for people prone to skin pigmentation, and those with white skin are at risk of developing skin cancer. If they do not use sunblock.

He stated that it has been scientifically proven that using a suitable sunscreen for the type of skin actually protects against skin cancers, especially basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, so the benefit of using sunscreens is greater than its harm, especially if a person spends a long time at the beach.

The dermatologist consultant explained that obtaining vitamin D requires long exposure to the sun, and thus a person may be exposed to harm if he does not use sunscreen, and we must avoid the peak hours, which are from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon.

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