Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease affecting thousands of women. Over time, bones become fragile and are more likely to break.
Most often, the disease affects older women, many of whom lose up to 20 percent of their total bone mass in the first five to seven years following menopause.
A bone density test and bone density screening is the way to find out if you have osteoporosis. The bone density screening is fast, painless and noninvasive. The bone density test looks for low bone density, which is an important risk factor for bone fractures. Based on test results and other factors, your OB/GYN can estimate how likely you are to have debilitating bone fracture.
Charlotte Hungerford Hospital through its affiliate, Advanced Medical Imaging, offers DXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) testing, considered the “gold standard” test. DXA can diagnose osteoporosis with minimal radiation exposure and rapid scanning time. The bone density test procedure uses a very low X-ray dose—less than one-tenth of a chest X-ray to assess a patient’s bone density levels.
The most important fact is that bone density testing can provide early detection, which can prevent excessive bone loss through treatment and therefore prevent fractures from happening.