According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, this medical condition causing brittle and fragile bones is responsible for more than 8.9 million fractures annually. While these numbers are quite distressing, what is even more alarming are the common myths we hear about this disease every day.

You have probably heard about osteoporosis affecting only the elderly, how women are more prone to this condition or just that simply drinking milk will guarantee you immunity from it. In order to set the record straight, the most common myths about osteoporosis are listed here, along with their explanations and also scientific facts on how to actually deal with this condition.

Women Need To Worry About Osteoporosis More Than Men

While osteoporosis is estimated to affect 200 million women worldwide, it is a common misconception that this condition cannot have major consequences for both genders equally. Recent statistics show that while there are generally more documented cases of women suffering from this condition, men actually have a higher rate of fracture related mortality.

It is important to realize that this disease does not differentiate between genders and that it can affect both women and men.

Osteoporosis Affects Only the Elderly

Another false belief is that osteoporosis cannot strike at any given age. The myth that only the elderly get affected by osteoporosis exists only because nearly 75% of hip, spine and distal forearm fractures occur among patients 65 years or older. But this does not mean that this disease cannot affect younger and healthier people as well. Osteoporosis is a result of hormonal changes or a deficiency of vitamin D or calcium in the body. It can be said with certainty that age is no factor here.

People with Osteoporosis Can Feel Their Legs Weakening

There is a good reason why osteoporosis is commonly called the “silent disease.” It is because most people do not realize they are suffering from this condition until it is too late. Most commonly, people get their diagnosis after they have suffered a broken bone or any kind of fracture. Of course, this does not mean that osteoporosis cannot be treated; it only means that the best way to avoid this disease is working on its prevention.

Children and Teenagers Do Not Need To Worry About Their Bones

Perhaps one of the most harmful myths about osteoporosis is that young people do not need to worry about getting osteoporosis. This only leads to negligence and improper care with children and teenagers and can only cause more problems. What professionals claim is that childhood and adolescence are the best times to start improving bone mass in order to build strong bones and hopefully avoid certain health conditions like osteoporosis and many others.

What Can You Actually Do?

Although all these facts might seem discomforting, that is not the reason to despair. There are actually many ways in which you can act against this condition.

While there is a range of drug treatment available for treating osteoporosis, still the best solution is preventing it from the start. This can be done by implementing regular physical activity into your daily routine, introducing healthier eating habits rich with calcium and vitamin D. Osteoporosis supplements that are rich with natural compounds have proven to have quite positive results on bone density.

Like many other medical conditions, osteoporosis can become a severe problem if not treated on time. Of course, prevention is the best form of treatment, and that is why it is important to start implementing healthier lifestyle choices into our lives from the very beginning. It is never too late to start living healthy.