Coping With an Osteoporosis Diagnosis
As you age, the skeleton system within your body has the ability to heal its self though the process of renewal. The process is known as remodeling, and at times referred to as bone turnover. When the bones are healthy, the bones stay strong because each time the break down, then renew, preventing problems like fractures. When osteoporosis is present, the bones do not renew themselves, and it’s not always obvious. Osteoporosis is often referred to as the silent disease, because it progresses without notice. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis, it’s important to understand your diagnosis and learn effective coping skills that will help you remain strong during this period in your life.
Problem Awareness
Diagnosing osteoporosis is often challenging due to the lack of symptoms it presents, but there’s one common reason that a diagnosis usually gets made. When someone breaks a bone without much impact or continues to have breaks or fractures to the bones at an abnormal rate, a medical doctor will look into the cause to see if an issue is present. Healthy bones do not break easily and breaks are rare to occur, especially more than once within a short period of time, leading to a red flag when regular bone problems present themselves in a patient. Additional testing may be used such as x-rays and blood work to determine the level of progression seen in your individual case. All of the details related to your Osteoporosis are determined before giving you an official diagnosis.
You may have noticed this issue arising prior to your diagnosis. You may have experienced injuries to the bones or increases levels of pain prior to your bone dentistry test. After testing is done on the bones, it can be frightening to hear that you have Osteoporosis. However, it’s important to realize that while this time is difficult, it’s not the end of the road, because with the right treatment and coping techniques, your life doesn’t have to be impacted greatly by Osteoporosis.
After your Diagnosis
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and emotional upon being diagnosed with Osteoporosis. The time right after your diagnosis is often the most difficult because it can lead to a lot of questions, anger, and some patients even feel bits of depression because of the impact the condition has on their lives. Your doctor can help provide some comfort by offering you more information on Osteoporosis and the ways your life will change. Some people assume their life will be impacted worse than it really will, and they find peace of mind upon educating themselves on the condition.
Additionally, connecting with friends or family who are close to you can offer you with just want you need to cope. Leaning towards someone for support and expressing your thoughts in fears to them is one of the most effective coping techniques. Some patients find feedback from others to be comforting while others just want to spend time with loves ones to feel calmer and reflect.
Another great form of support that will help you cope is available right online. These days, there’s several online sources available to help you learn more about your condition, keep track of your progression, or even connect with others who’ve been diagnosed through support rooms and chats. The more you learn about your diagnosis and the higher level of support you have, the easier it will be for you during the transition of diagnosis to your treatment plan.