How Osteoporosis Affects Your Bones

Osteoporosis is a disease that makes your bones thin and weak. Normally your body is constantly replacing old bone tissue with new bone tissue, which is made of calcium and collagen. Osteoporosis happens when your body removes old bone too quickly or doesn't make new bone fast enough. Healthy bones have a honeycomb structure. But with osteoporosis, the spaces inside grow bigger. This makes your bones less dense and more likely to break, especially in your hip, spine, and wrist. Osteoporosis is called a silent disease because you might not know you have it until you break a bone. The good news is that it can be treated and even prevented by taking care of your bones. Your body needs calcium to work like it should, but it doesn't make calcium on its own. If you don't get enough calcium every day from foods and vitamins, your body takes it from your bones, which speeds up bone loss. To keep your bones strong, eat foods high in calcium and vitamin D. Exercise, don't smoke, and talk to your doctor about medicines that can help.