Osteoporosis is a serious condition that affects more than two hundred million people across the United States. It means that approximately 54 million people have received a diagnosis of osteoporosis.

The condition impacts both men and women, but women are more likely to develop osteoporosis in their life than men.

In fact, the CDC reports that around 20 percent (1 in 4) of all women are likely to develop the condition. In comparison, it affects 5 percent or 1 in 20 men.

Here’s what you should know about osteoporosis and how prescription drugs can help.

What Is Osteoporosis?

The word osteoporosis translates to porous bone in Latin. It’s a condition that impacts the bones in the body.

Our bones consist of small spaces. Osteoporosis increases the size of those spaces, affecting the strength and density of the bones.

People with osteoporosis are more at risk of getting fractures or breaking their bones than other people. In fact, they can damage their bones when performing mundane tasks, like walking.

Symptoms of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis develops slowly over the course of years, and often patients don’t even realize they have the condition. Many people only realize they have osteoporosis when they fracture or break a bone. That’s because most cases of osteoporosis don’t show any symptoms.

However, when other symptoms do appear, they may include:

1. Brittle or weak nails
2. Less grip strength
3. Receding gums

In severe osteoporosis, even something as small as a cough or a sneeze can cause people to break bones. Moreover, patients are also likely to break the bones in their spinal vertebrae. This can lead to posture changes, curved spine, and pain in their neck and back. Patients might also experience a loss of height with clothes not fitting as they did before. This is called a compression fracture.

Treatments for Osteoporosis

Though there is no cure for osteoporosis, your treatment plan will help you manage your symptoms. The treatment plan will be designed to protect your bones and strengthen them as much as possible.

Your medical provider will conduct some tests first. If the tests show you have osteoporosis, your doctor will work with you to strategize a treatment plan. This will include medications as well as changes in lifestyle to help manage the symptoms effectively.

You will most likely be encouraged to exercise your bones as well as take supplements, like calcium and vitamin D.

Osteoporosis Medication

Your medical provider is likely to prescribe you prescription drugs to prevent you from losing bone density and mass. These medications include:

1. Alendronate
2. Zoledronic acid
3. Ibandronate
4. Risedronate

Timely treatment is essential to help you manage your symptoms. However, most people don’t get treatment due to them being expensive. That’s where we come in.

At Advocate My Meds, we work as a full-service prescription assistance organization to provide simple financial assistance to fill prescriptions programs to underinsured and uninsured Americans. That’s why we offer more than 1,500 name-brand and generic drugs, like Johnson and Johnson and Lilly cares prescription assistance.

Check for eligibility or contact them to find out more.