Not many people seem to prioritize bone mineral densitometry. While others don’t see need to it, there might come a time when it is the only solution to your woes. A bone mineral density test also known as a bone density test helps detect if you have osteoporosis, a condition that leaves you with weak and thin bones.
Actually, your bones become highly vulnerable to breaking. And the worst part is that it’s a silent condition, meaning you don’t feel any symptoms. Without a bone density test, you may probably never notice you have osteoporosis until you break a bone.
So, how does bone mineral densitometry come to be? There’s nothing to worry about considering this type of test in painless and quick. It helps estimate how dense or thick your bones are by using X-rays.
The X-rays measure how much calcium and minerals are in a part of your bone. The more minerals you have, the better. What this simply means is that your bones are stronger, denser, and less likely to break. The lower your mineral content, the greater your chance of breaking a bone in a fall.
The good thing with a bone mineral densitometry is that just about anybody can be tested. Keep in mind osteoporosis is more common among older women, but men can have it, too. Your chances increase as you age. It is essential that you have a word with your doctor to determine if you need the test.
In most cases, they may recommend it if you’re a woman 65 or older, you’re a postmenopausal woman 50 or older, or you’re a woman at the age of menopause and have a high chance of breaking bones. Things are not any different if you’re a man 50 or older with other risk factors.
Usually, the test examines the bones in your spine, hip, and forearm. These are the bones that are most likely to break when battling osteoporosis. The two types of bone density tests take less than 15 minutes. They are Central DXA and Peripheral test. Taking the time to understand what these tests entail will help ensure you’re leveraging the ideal one for your needs.
Luckily, there is very little risk to taking the test. After all, you are exposed to very minimal levels of radiation, less than a chest X-ray or an airplane flight.
