If you're an older gentleman with health issues, you might do the best you can eat right and exercise. But if you don't take steps to protect your bones, you could potentially experience osteoporotic bone fractures. Osteoporosis isn't a woman's disease. The condition can affect men age as well. Learning more about your risk factors for osteoporosis can help you avoid bone fractures now and in the future.

How Do Men Get Osteoporosis?

Although the bones of your skeleton are thicker or denser than the bones of a woman's skeleton, they can still weaken with age. Weakened bone tissue can lead to osteoporosis, a degenerative bone disease that causes your bones to break, or fracture, easily. The condition often occurs silently, so you won't know that you have it until you injure or break a bone.

Women usually experience osteoporosis during and after menopause. However, men can develop the condition as they age. Certain factors may also influence a loss of bone tissue, including smoking and the inability to absorb or process calcium. Your bones may also experience problems if you experience a decline in testosterone.

You can lower your risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures by changing the factors above.

How Do You Prevent or Treat Osteoporotic Bone Fractures?

If you have problems with your hormones, consult with your regular doctor right away. Your doctor may provide treatments that regulate, control, or increase your testosterone levels. Also, continue to exercise on a daily basis. Male aerobics, weight-training, and other active exercises can help strengthen and protect your bones over time.

If you have concerns about your diet, such as what to eat during the day, consult with a nutritionist or dietician. You may need to add more leafy green vegetables, dairy products, and fruit to your daily diet. Vegetables like kale are great sources of vitamin D and calcium.

Finally, see an orthopedist or bone specialist about your health concerns. A bone specialist can examine the bones in your hands, hips, and spine to see if you have problems to treat. Bone density testing is one of the ways doctors detect weakened bone tissue.

A doctor can also find or diagnose hidden bone fractures during your visits. Some osteoporotic bone fractures can go undetected without the proper medical intervention or testing. If the fractures occur in areas of the body already affected by disease, such as arthritis, you might not feel it right away. The fracture may potentially become infected or worse with time.

You can protect your bones from osteoporosis and bone fractures by scheduling an appointment with an orthopedist today.Contact a company, like Radius, for more help.