Osteoporosis is a serious bone disease. It is caused by a loss of bone density or mass. In the United States, more than 40 million people already have osteoporosis or are at extremely high risk of contracting the disease. Osteoporosis can affect both men and women. In this essay, I will give you a brief overview of the disease, tell you about the more minor risk factors, explain how steroids come into play in osteoporosis, and explain the symptoms and treatment. The term osteoporosis means “porous bone.” When you look at healthy bone under a microscope, you will always see holes and spaces. In a bone with osteoporosis, the holes and spaces you see will appear much larger. This appearance is due to loss of bone density and bone mass. When this happens to your bones, they weaken and you are at increased risk of fractures. People with osteoporosis most often break bones in their hip, spine, and wrist. There are many risk factors linked to osteoporosis. The first risk factor would be age. After the age of 30, your body slowly begins to lose bone mass/density. When this begins, your risk of osteoporosis becomes significantly higher. The second risk factor would be gender. Women are 4 times more likely to suffer from osteoporosis than men. This is because women generally have thinner bones than men. The third risk factor for osteoporosis may come as a surprise: ethnicity. Caucasian and Asian women have been shown to be at higher risk of contracting the disease. In fact, 20 percent of all Asian and Caucasian women are estimated to have osteoporosis, and more than 50 percent are estimated to have low bone density/mass. The fourth risk factor would be ...... middle of paper ...... osteoporosis is severe, you will be prescribed a bisphosphonate. Bisphosphonates are medications that prevent loss of bone mass/density. Overall, osteoporosis can be a devastating disease. It can affect your entire life in many ways. You need to be extremely careful about everything you do and every move you make. With just one bad touch or movement, you could break a bone very easily. Since there are no early detectors of osteoporosis, we need to be even more careful when it comes to protecting our bones. One of the best ways to do this is to take calcium and vitamin D supplements if you have signs of deficiency. Second, if you are a habitual corticosteroid user, you should have a BMD at least once a year to make sure you are not at risk. Osteoporosis may not be detectable, but it's at least preventable and treatable.