Bones gradually get thinner in men and women after about 30 years of age. Bone density continues to decline throughout life. Bone loss also accelerates in women after menopause.

Bone thinning usually has no symptoms until a bone breaks. Several conditions can cause brittle bones. As well as blood calcium problems, bone thinning can occur if you have hormone problems such an an early menopause, thyroid problems or male hormone deficiencies.

Several conditions can affect your blood calcium levels and bone health. Very low and very high calcium levels in the blood almost always need investigating by a specialist. They may need treatment because they can cause complications.

Hyperparathyroidism is a relatively common condition causing a high calcium level. It can also cause muscle aches and pains, lethargy, dehydration, brittle bones, kidney stones, high blood pressure and tummy pain. It can usually be cured with a neck operation.

Hypoparathyroidism causes low blood calcium level. You can be born with it but it can also be caused by treatments which have damaged the parathyroid glands.

For more information about parathyroid disease you can visit parathyroid UK

You can develop brittle bones through eating disorders, coeliac disease, low calcium in your diet, long term steroid treatment and immobility among other problems. If you have a family history of brittle bones you may be also more at risk.

Bones gradually get thinner in men and women after about 30 years of age. It continues to decline throughout life. Bone loss also accelerates in women after menopause.

If you break a bone easily without much trauma or if you have risk factors you should ask your doctor to look into it and you may need to have a bone density scan and/or see a specialist like me.

Here is a Calcium rich foods for osteoporosis

Here is a Vitamin D food fact sheet

For more information about osteoporosis you can visit the Royal Osteoporosis Society