It's October... and we are thinking about bone health

It’s October and the shops are full of Hallowe’en merchandise, pumpkins, bats and skeletons and more. 

Not to scare you, but because it’s World Osteoporosis day on 20^th October, this month we are turning to look at our bone health.

Did you know that your skeleton is constantly regenerating?  

It takes about ten years to grow a whole new skeleton, at any one time we have a mixture of old and new bones, as the rate of redevelopment is different throughout the body.

So, it’s really important to eat a balanced diet and take regular exercise for our bone health, as well as for our general well-being.

You can download this helpful factsheet from the International Osteoporosis Foundation, which offers hints and tips to help build bone strength: 

When we reach middle age this renewal process slows down, so our bones tend to get thinner, which is why osteoporosis can set in. 

On the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s website there is a one-minute Osteoporosis Risk Test to find out whether you may have specific factors which place you at higher risk of osteoporosis and fractures. 

Osteoporosis occurs when bones become thin and fragile. The result is that they break easily, even following a minor bump or fall from standing height. Worldwide, one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50 will suffer a fragility fracture (broken bone) due to osteoporosis.

Although fractures can occur in any part of the body, they most commonly affect the wrists, spine and hips. Fractures due to osteoporosis are a major cause of pain, long-term disability and loss of independence among older adults, and can even result in premature death.

On our first aid courses, at First Response First Aid we teach participants how to assess any emergency situation, how to work out what help is needed and what to do straight away to help the injured person.  It can sometimes be difficult to tell whether a bone is broken, but there may be pain, swelling or deformity.  However, if the break is small or it's just a crack, the person may not feel much pain or even realise that they have broken a bone.

Would you feel able to cope in an emergency, either at home or at work? 

If not, why not attend one of our regular first aid courses?  They run at various venues across the West Midlands every week.  We offer high quality, professional, certified training at affordable prices.  Please call us to chat about which course is right for you, we are here to help.