RAVIND JEAWON SUFFERED a lot of low impact fractures from tripping or falling when he was younger.
His sister found out she had osteopenia, the early stages of osteoporosis, when she had trouble with a fracture healing.
The doctor asked her if there was a history of fractures in her family so Ravind also underwent a DEXA (bone density) scan. He too had mild osteopenia.
As a 27-year-old man he wasn’t the type of person usually associated with osteoporosis, but he has fractured both of his wrists twice and his ribs once.
Ravind told TheJournal.ie he was surprised with his diagnosis as he “didn’t think it happened to men, and certainly didn’t think young men got it”. He always thought the condition was “something that only happens to an old person or something that happens to women after menopause”.
His mother has osteoporosis, as did his grandmother.
The condition affects the strength or thickness of bones, which makes them more fragile. It is often not diagnosed until a fracture or multiple fractures occur.
Ravind (now 33) said he didn’t take his diagnosis seriously at first. In the 12 months after he was diagnosed he failed to commit to changing his diet and exercise patterns.
“It took a while for me to take it seriously,” he admits.
He got a wake up call when a further scan revealed the condition had worsened and was now affecting his spine.
Within six months of making lifestyle changes, he started to feel positive effects.
It is possible for people to take quite natural steps and lifestyle steps and turn it around. It’s much more common in men and young men than people think.
One of the main symptoms is Vitamin D deficiency – which can be combated through supplements and food such as eggs, liver, fortified milk and cereals, and fish such as salmon and mackerel.
Ravind said all his male friends were surprised at his diagnosis and initially teased him for “being a drama queen”.
He’s speaking out about his experience because he wants more men and young people to be aware of the condition.
Ravind thinks looking after your bones is as important as heart health or mental health, noting: “It’s important to get in there early and get on top it.”
Some facts:
Professor Moira O’Brien is the president of the Osteoporosis Society of Ireland.
She began studying medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) on a scholarship at the age of 16 and went on to work as Ireland’s Olympic team doctor for the Moscow, LA and Seoul games.
O’Brien said it was her work with athletes that led her to become involved with osteoporosis.
She told TheJournal.ie the most important thing to know about the condition is that is “preventable and treatable”.
O’Brien also stressed the necessity of determining the cause.
Osteoporosis can be brought on by family history (a 70% increase of developing it), cancer treatment, low oestrogen and testosterone levels, steroids, stress or a number of other reasons.
One in four men and one in two women over 50 years of age will develop a fracture due to osteoporosis in their lifetime.
However, just 10-15% of people with the condition are diagnosed. O’Brien said the number of younger people with osteopenia or osteoporosis is unknown due to this reason.
She encouraged families with a history of the condition to have their children – both girls and boys – scanned.
At the age of 82, she’s still working full-time.
More information on the Irish Osteoporosis Society can be found here. More details about how the condition can affect men can be viewed here.
Information about Vitamin D deficiency is available here.
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