Diagnosis:The Danger of Dizziness

It may not come as a surprise that if you take a tumble and have osteoporosis—low bone-density that makes the skeleton fragile—your delicate bones may fracture. What you may not know is that people with osteoporosis are also more likely to fall in the first place. A study from Seoul National University shows that people with the bone disorder are three times more likely to have vertigo than people with normal bone density. Vertigo, a common cause of dizziness, is believed to occur when calcium carbonate crystals disrupt the body's balance system, located in the inner ear.

"Vertigo frequently occurs in older women, which suggests that altered calcium metabolism associated with menopause may precipitate both osteoporosis and vertigo," explains study co-author Ji Soo Kim. Although menopause may disrupt calcium metabolism in women by decreasing estrogen levels, men with osteoporosis are just as susceptible to vertigo. —Joshua Gowin

Boning Up

How to prevent or treat osteoporosis.

• Exercise: Weight-bearing activities like lifting weights can increase bone density in adults. Inactivity can lead to further bone loss.
• Stop smoking: Cigarettes increase the breakdown of estrogen, which alters calcium metabolism and increases the risk for osteoporosis.
• Eat right: Healthy eating—broccoli, dairy products, seeds, and nuts—ensures proper amounts of calcium and other minerals important for strong bones. And get your vitamin D to aid calcium absorption.
• Mind your alcohol: More than a few drinks per day increases the risk of osteoporosis significantly, even for young people.