Questions to Ask the Doctor

Ask your doctor about:

• Whether you have lifestyle habits that increase or quicken your bone loss, such as lack of exercise, smoking and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
• The need for you to take in enough calcium and vitamins each day. You should be told how much to take and what foods and medicines you could take to make sure you get enough.
• What exercise you need.
• The best treatment for you.
• Special tests you may need.
• Any recent change in your height.
• Medications that you may be taking that could contribute to developing osteoporosis.
• Medical conditions you may have that could contribute to developing osteoporosis.
• Whether you need to be on medications to reduce bone thinning.
• When you may need a referral to a specialist or admission to a hospital.

Make sure that you:

• Understand the importance of good nutrition and the types of exercise needed to help prevent osteoporosis.
• Understand the need for taking calcium and vitamin D, and know how much you should be taking each day.
• Discuss ways to cut down on or eliminate habits that may worsen or increase your risk for osteoporosis, such as smoking and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
• Review your medicines, the amount you should take and possible side effects.
• Review the results of your last laboratory tests and discuss the need for follow-up tests, such as a DEXA scan.
• Discuss how often you should see your doctor and schedule your next visit.

More on Osteoporosis

In the Encyclopedia:

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.