United Energy Workers Healthcare and Four Corners Health Care provide free home health services for EEOICPA and RECA beneficiaries. This means that our patients are generally older and are suffering from either cancer or another occupational illness. Though we can only help people with certain diagnosed diseases, we also provide our patients with other healthcare services tailored to their needs and other conditions, even those which are associated with increased age.
For reasons that are still unknown but heavily studied, everyone’s health diminishes as they get older. The rate at which we decrease in health depends on many factors, such as diet, exercise, stress, and occupational pursuits, but everyone’s body gets weaker over time which can lead to varying health problems. One of the most common types of age-related health deterioration is osteoporosis.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens the bones, making them more brittle and likely to break if pressure is applied, which happens most commonly in the elderly population if they fall or land on their legs improperly. This particular ailment occurs when the body has difficulty producing enough bone tissues or has difficulty absorbing vitamins that keep the bones strong and healthy. About 10 million people across the nation suffer from diagnosed osteoporosis, but a great number more are estimated to suffer from low bone density in general, which can result in osteoporosis if left untreated. Despite the daunting prognosis of osteoporosis’ negative health effects, there are measures that young and old alike can take to prevent it from occurring as well as measures that can be initiated in its diagnosis.
How to Prevent Osteoporosis
Though bone loss and osteoporosis are common in the elderly population, there are a lot of things that individuals can do to take preventative measures against it. We have provided a list of suggested guidelines for preventing osteoporosis, but we encourage you to seek a doctor’s advice before trying anything new.
- Exercise:
Exercise is one of the most recommended and effective preventative measures in the fight against osteoporosis. There are a few reasons for this. When you exercise, you send signals to your body that it needs to build more cells to support your movement. This helps to build muscles which pull and stretch your bones, which in turn builds more cells and increases bone density. Exercises can be anything from traditional weight lifting to aerobic exercises like swimming or dancing. - Consume enough vitamin D and calcium.
Calcium is a mineral that the body uses to develop bone cells. If you have a proper diet of calcium, which can depend on your dietician and physician, your bones can regenerate healthy tissues or prevent them from losing density in the first place. Vitamin D also helps in this process as it helps the body absorb calcium for bone strength. You can get a lot of these in healthy foods or by supplements that are provided over the counter at your local pharmacy. - Get enough sunlight.
When UV rays hit your skin, you activate the vitamin D in your body to help in the process of absorbing calcium. You don’t need to be in the sun very long, nor does it need to be every day for this to be effective, but 10 minutes in the direct sunlight once in awhile is preferable to aid in fighting against osteoporosis. - Quit smoking.
Tobacco is notorious for causing many problems, and bone density decrease is one of them. Cigarette smoke is known to block the processes the assist in bone growth and can actually lead to different types of bone cancer. - Stop drinking soda.
Carbonated soft drinks have extra phosphorus that blocks some of the bones’ mineral absorption and are steadily replacing calcium-rich drinks, like milk, which are better alternatives for bone health. - Limit alcohol consumption.
Alcohol is an enemy to calcium. When too much alcohol is consumed, vital organs such as the pancreas are more preoccupied dealing with the toxin than it is producing enzymes which assist in vitamin D and calcium absorption into the bones. Limiting alcohol will help organ systems to function better and send the correct nutrients throughout the whole body’s skeletal structure.
Considering a few or all of these preventative steps will improve your likelihood of avoiding osteoporosis and low bone density problems. Those who currently have osteoporosis or weaker bones can also use these measures to improve their condition and strengthen their bones for overall health.
Free Home Health Services
Our trained medical staff helps those suffering from cancer and other occupational illnesses who are suffering from bone loss or osteoporosis. We can assist you and your doctor by helping you perform physical therapy and other exercises, as well as ensuring you receive the correct course of supplements to build strength and overcome osteoporosis. Call us today at (800) 314-2383 to get started with our free EEOICPA and RECA home healthcare services. You can also verify the qualifying illnesses for DOL EEOICPA and RECA.