What is osteoporosis? 骨质疏松症是什么？

Osteoporosis is a disease that affects your bones.骨质疏松症是病，影响到你的骨头。 It means you have bones that are thin and brittle, with lots of holes inside them like a sponge.这意味着你骨头是薄，脆，有很多洞里面它们像海绵一样。 This makes them easy to break.这使它们很容易突破。 Osteoporosis can lead to broken bones (fractures) in the hip, spine, and wrist.骨质疏松症会导致骨折（骨折）在髋关节，脊柱和腕关节。 These fractures can be disabling and may make it hard for you to live on your own.这些骨折可停用，可能很难对你生活在你自己的。

See a picture of healthy bone versus bone weakened by osteoporosis看到图片的健康骨与骨削弱了骨质疏松症 . 。

Osteoporosis affects millions of older adults.骨质疏松症影响到数以百万计的老年人。 It usually strikes after age 60.它通常罢工后， 60岁。 It’s most common in women, but men can get it too.这是最常见的妇女，但男人可以做得很好了。

What causes osteoporosis?骨质疏松症的起因是什么？

Osteoporosis is caused by a lack of bone strength or bone density.骨质疏松症是由于缺乏骨强度或骨骼密度。 As you age, your bones get thinner naturally.如你的年龄，你的骨骼变薄自然获得。 But some things can make you more likely to have the severe bone thinning of osteoporosis.但有些事情可以让你更可能有严重的骨变薄骨质疏松症。 These things are called risk factors.这些东西都是所谓的风险因素。 Some risk factors you can change.有些危险因素可以改变。 Others you can't change.还有你不能改变。

Risk factors you can't change include:危险因素你不能改变包括：

• Your age.您的年龄。 Your risk for osteoporosis goes up as you get older.您的骨质疏松症的风险上升为你变老。
• Being a woman who has gone through menopause.作为一个女人谁经历更年期。 After menopause, the body makes less estrogen.绝经后，体内雌激素使少。 Estrogen protects the body from bone loss.雌激素保护身体从骨质流失。
• Your family background.您的家庭背景。 Osteoporosis tends to run in families.骨质疏松症往往在家庭中运行。
• Having a slender body frame.有一个细长体框架。
• Your race.您的军备竞赛。 People of European and Asian background are most likely to get osteoporosis.人民的欧洲和亚洲的背景下最有可能得到骨质疏松症。

Risk factors you can change include:风险因素可以更改包括：

• Smoking.吸烟。
• Not getting enough exercise.没有足够的运动。
• Drinking too much alcohol.喝了太多的酒精。
• Not getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus in the things you eat or from supplements.没有足够的钙，维生素D ，磷在你吃东西或补充。

To check your risk for osteoporosis, use this Interactive Tool: Are You At Risk for Osteoporosis?要检查您的骨质疏松症的危险，利用这个互动工具：你在骨质疏松症的危险？

What are the symptoms?有哪些症状？

Osteoporosis can be very far along before you notice it.骨质疏松症可以很远，然后再沿着通知它。 Sometimes the first sign is a broken bone in your hip, spine, or wrist after a bump or fall.有时候，第一个迹象是骨折的髋关节，脊柱，或手腕后，凹凸或下降。

As the disease gets worse, you may have other signs, such as pain in your back.随着病情的恶化，你可能有其他的迹象，如疼痛在您回来。 You might notice that you are not as tall as you used to be and that you have a curved backbone.您可能会注意到你不一样高您使用的是和您有一个弯曲的骨干。

How is osteoporosis diagnosed? 骨质疏松症是如何诊断？

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and do a physical exam.您的医生将询问您的症状，做体检。 You may also have a test that measures your bone thickness (bone density test) and your risk for a fracture.您可能还需要测试您的措施骨厚度（骨密度测试）和您的风险骨折。

If the test finds that your bone thickness is less than normal but is not osteoporosis, you may have osteopenia, a less severe type of bone thinning.如果测试发现，您的骨厚度小于正常，但不是骨质疏松症，您可能有骨质疏松，不那么严厉类型的骨变薄。

It’s important to find and treat osteoporosis early to prevent bone fractures.重要的是要发现和治疗骨质疏松症早期预防骨折。 The United States Preventive Services Task Force advises routine bone density testing for women age 65 and older.美国预防服务工作队提供咨询意见例行骨密度测试， 65岁的妇女和老年人。 If you have a higher risk for fractures, it’s best to start getting the test at age 60.如果您有一个高风险的骨折，最好的方式开始得到测试， 60岁。