VA Women’s Health Takes On Osteoporosis | VA Washington DC Health Care

This March, the Washington DC VA Health care Middle is tackling Osteoporosis by encouraging ladies Veterans to make their bones as solid as their spirit.

Osteoporosis is a issue that will cause bones to weaken and develop into a lot more vulnerable to breaks. Dubbed a “silent disease,” a single in five females above the age of 50 have osteoporosis but quite a few go undiagnosed till they split a bone.

Fractures of the hip, wrist and spine, joint and again ache, and a reduction in height due to diminished posture are popular indications of osteoporosis. In intense scenarios, these indications can turn into disabling and may go away Veterans struggling to do the functions they after beloved.

Fortunately, osteoporosis can be prevented through screening and life-style improvements. Shana Balogun, Women of all ages Veterans Application Manager at the Washington DC VA Professional medical Center’s Women’s Well being Clinic, encourages Veterans to talk with their main care provider to establish a preventative treatment plan.

“As you tactic 50 and go past, you start to drop bone density. But there are methods you can take, like consuming healthier and doing exercises, to prevent that decline,” reported Balogun. “We use preventative overall health screening to make sure people are knowledgeable of the matters they can handle and actions they can just take to advertise longevity and lower the chance of falls and fractures which may perhaps be triggered by osteoporosis.”

Ways you can consider to reinforce your bones and cut down your possibility of osteoporosis include:

• Not using tobacco
• Accomplishing common, bodyweight-bearing routines like walking, jogging, or dancing
• Acquiring adequate calcium and vitamin D via eating a healthy eating plan and shelling out normal time outside the house in the sunlight
• Viewing your VA wellbeing care service provider consistently

The VA endorses Girls Veterans program a Twin-Power Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan at age 65 to monitor for osteoporosis.  This scan measures bone density, or the quantity of bone mineral inside of of your bones that effects their toughness and thickness. The DEXA scan is a pain-free process that tells your key treatment service provider how powerful your bones are and if you have or are at threat to have osteoporosis.

Your main treatment service provider may plan you for a DEXA scan ahead of 65 if you have any of the following chance things:

• Getting a family members historical past of osteoporosis
• Getting past menopause
• Getting a tiny, slim system (weighing significantly less than 127 lbs)
• Not getting adequate calcium or vitamin D
• Obtaining a sedentary way of life
• Having an eating condition
• Smoking
• Having sure remedies
• Consuming too much alcoholic beverages

Regardless of your hazard degree for osteoporosis, your most important treatment supplier can get the job done with the Centre for Women’s Health and fitness to produce a program to assistance you make or retain bone overall health.   

“We choose the time to deliver a wholistic screening evaluation to figure out what each individual Veteran may need to have,” claimed Balogun. “If you were a smoker in the armed forces, you are at far more of a possibility for osteoporosis, so we can set you up with our smoking cessation software. If you do not have as lots of opportunities to be energetic now, we connect you with the VA Go System. The DC VAMC has so lots of sources available to support boost a healthier lifestyle, longevity and achievement, and we want to link you to the correct resources.”

To speak with your major treatment service provider about osteoporosis, program an appointment at 202-745-8000, Ext. 58577.

Gals Veterans can also text or chat on the internet with the VA’s Females Veterans Contact Heart at 855-829-6636. Properly trained gals associates can:

• Aid you get enrolled in VA health and fitness treatment if you’re not by now
• Enable you set up an appointment in your spot
• Solution your queries about advantages and eligibility
• Help you obtain out what means or providers are accessible at your VA

Choose cost of your wellbeing and understand a lot more about VA bone-wellbeing providers for women Veterans.