Osteoporosis: Overview
Introduction
Having weak bones that easily break is a sign of osteoporosis. It is normal for your bones to become less dense as you grow older, but osteoporosis speeds up this process. This condition can particularly lead to problems in older age because broken bonesdo not heal as easily in older people as they do in young people, and the consequences are more serious. In general, osteoporosis is more common in women, and they often develop it at a younger age.
Getting older does not mean that you will automatically develop osteoporosis, but the risk does increase with age. People over the age of 70 are more likely to have low bone density. Plus, the risk of falling increases in old age, which then also makes fractures more likely.
But there are several things you can do to protect and strengthen your bones – even if you are already older.

Symptoms
Osteoporosis often goes undetected at first. Sometimes there are obvious signs that a person has osteoporosis – they may ”shrink” a little and develop a stooped posture, for example. But often the first sign that someone has osteoporosis is when they break a bone, sometimes without knowing how or why it happened. This kind of break is called a “spontaneous fracture.”
When bone massis lost the risk of breaking a bone (fractures) is higher. Osteoporosis that has already caused a fracture is referred to as “established” osteoporosis.
The bones of the spinal column (vertebrae) are the most likely to break or “collapse” in someone who has?osteoporosis. Sometimes this will cause back pain, but most people do not notice anything.
Broken vertebrae are one reason why many older people stoop over and develop what is often called a “dowager's hump” at the top of their?spine.
Osteoporosis also commonly affects the?wrist, the upper arm and the femur (thigh bone).

Causes
Inside bones 
there is a supporting structure with interconnecting bony plates and rods called trabeculae. This structure is called trabecular or spongy bone because it looks a bit like a sponge or honeycomb.
Osteoporosis develops when a large amount of thespongy bone tissue breaks down, leaving bigger spaces. The bone becomes more porous as a result. This affects the fine structure of the bones, and they become brittle. Some people's bones become so fragile that even tripping over something or lifting a heavy shopping bag is enough to cause vertebrae to break.