Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, defined by WHO as a decrease in bone density, is a very common disease. It affects mainly women after menopause (the prevalence in 55 year-old women is 7%, in 80 year-old women 19%). It is a pathological decrease of bone tissue – atrophy of bone trabeculae. The bones lose calcium, which results in the reduction of bone density. The bone loses its strength and is more prone to fracture. Osteoporosis is a disease that often develops unobserved until complications appear. Osteoporosis can be classified as primary (without an evident concrete cause) and secondary.

Patient: Good morning, doctor. My name is Hunt and my mother, Ms Stiller, was taken to this hospital yesterday with a forearm fracture. It's been the third fracture this year, so I came to ask how she is doing and if it is normal at her age.

Doctor: Good morning, Ms Hunt. She was given an X-ray and had her arm put in a cast. Given her age, 75, and a few small complications, she should stay here for a few more days. However, your mother suffers from osteoporosis, and that is why her bones break so often.

Patient: Osteoporosis? What is it?

Doctor: To put it simply, it is the thinning of bone tissue. The bone becomes porous, it loses calcium and other minerals, which leads to higher fragility, among other things.

Patient: And what are the manifestations?

Doctor: Mild forms are asymptomatic. Later, the symptoms include back pain as osteoporosis affects mainly vertebrae, fractures and a decrease in height or skeletal deformation caused by the change of the shape of vertebrae.

Patient: Is it possible to cure it?

Doctor: It is easier to prevent osteoporosis than to cure it. However, we are going to medicate your mother with drugs to prevent loss of bone mass and to help bone formation – calcium, fluorine, vitamin D, bisphosphonates and hormones, and set regime measures in the form of a calcium-rich diet and adequate physical activity. These measures are to be continued when she gets back home.

Patient: Ok. And when is she going to be discharged?

Doctor: I suppose within a few days. We will let you know via telephone.

Patient: Thank you very much.  See you soon.

Doctor: See you.

decrease	úbytek, pokles, snížení
to result	mít za následek, vést k čemu
prone to	náchylný k čemu, mít sklon, tendenci
unobserved	nepozorovaný
evident	očividný, zřejmý, patrný, evidentní, zjevný
cause	příčina, důvod
forearm	předloktí
cast	sádra; model, odlitek
given	vzhledem k; daný, uvedený
to suffer from	trpět čím, být postižen
to put it simply	zjednodušeně řečeno
to lead to	vést k čemu, mít za výsledek
fragility	lomivost; křehkost
among other things	mimo jiné
manifestation	projev
to discharge	propustit
to suppose	předpokládat, myslet si, domnívat se
via	prostřednictvím, přes

Lekce angličtiny pro časopis Florence připravuje překladatelská agentura ACP TRADUCTERA (www.traductera.com).

 

Ilustrační foto – zdroj: www.webmd.com