Osteoporosis - Symptoms

Osteoporosis is sometimes called the "silent disease." The term reflects the fact that the condition usually has no symptoms. People often don't know they have the disorder until they break a bone during some minor accident.

As osteoporosis develops, changes in body structure may occur. A person may actually grow shorter. This change occurs when vertebrae (bones in

the spine) deteriorate and collapse. Loss of vertebrae mass can also result in the condition known as "dowager's hump" or "widow's hump." This condition is characterized by the hunchbacked appearance often seen in older women.