What are the symptoms of Undiagnosed osteoporosis?

While no one experiences signs or symptoms before breaking a bone, there are signs and symptoms of possible undiagnosed osteoporosis.

• Back pain: Many people with osteoporosis suffer broken vertebrae (broken bones in their back) without even realising it. Make sure you do not ignore back pain, get assessed to find out why you have the pain, as 75% of broken bones in their back have intermittent back pain.
• Loss of height or change in body shape: Broken bones in your back can lead to loss of height and fractures (broken bones) in your mid and upper back, over time this can lead to a stooped posture, followed by a hump developing.
• Unexplained broken bones: People with undiagnosed osteoporosis can break bones very easily, by an activity as simple as rolling over in bed or coughing and sneezing. If you break a bone, make sure to check to see if you have any risk factors for bone loss because if you do, you should speak to your GP about a DXA scan. These signs and symptoms do not automatically mean you have osteoporosis. However, if you have one or more of them, especially if you are over 50, osteoporosis should be ruled out by having a DXA scan.