"Doctor, I came to the hospital to see depression, why should I check my bone density?" "Doctor, I came to see the psychiatric department, why did the nurse take me to check my bone density, what is this for?" …… In their daily work, patients often ask similar questions to our doctors.
What exactly is a bone density test? What is the relationship between bone density testing and patients with mental illness? What are the precautions in daily life? Let's talk about bone density testing in psychiatry.
What is a bone density test?
Bone mineral density, or bone mineral density, is currently the best quantitative indicator for diagnosing osteoporosis, predicting fracture risk, and monitoring the treatment effect of osteoporosis. Bone density is an important indicator of bone quality and strength. Bone density test, as the name suggests, is the main method of checking bone strength, and it is currently the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis. Bone density tests can assess the strength and health of bones, helping us detect signs of osteoporosis early and take timely steps to prevent fractures.
Why do people with mental illness need bone density tests?
As people age, people's bone health gradually faces challenges, and patients with mental illness are often accompanied by a series of physical health problems, especially bone health problems.
In some patients, lifestyle affects bone density. Many people with depression or schizophrenia are active at home for a long time, lack of exercise to stimulate bone formation, and lack of sunlight can also affect the production of vitamin D, which can lead to calcium and phosphorus metabolism problems, causing a decrease in bone density.
At the same time, the long-term use of some psychiatric drugs can also reduce bone density. However, not every psychiatric drug has the risk of reducing bone mineral density, and bone mineral density is closely related to personal lifestyle and dietary habits, and bone mineral density testing needs to be performed according to the individual patient's individual situation.
So, what role does bone density testing play in this process?
To put it simply, a bone densitometry is a measurement of bone mineral density through X-rays or ultrasounds. It's like a "physical check-up" of your bones to see how healthy they are. Through this examination, doctors can detect bone health problems in time and take appropriate interventions to reduce the incidence of complications such as fractures.
In addition to its significance in assessing bone health, bone densitometry is also a guide for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. It is important for patients with mental illness to adjust the dosage of the drug or change the drug in time according to the patient's bone health. At the same time, regular check-ups for changes in bone mineral density can help physicians develop personalized examination plans for patients, and for patients with high risk of fractures, the frequency of examinations will be increased accordingly, so as to detect and intervene in bone health problems in time.
Therefore, we should not take lightly the bone density test of a mentally ill person. It allows doctors to better understand the patient's physical condition and identify potential health problems in advance. For people with mental illness, maintaining good health is a top priority. After all, only a healthy body can have a better mental state to face the challenges of life. Finally, I wish you all a healthy mental state and strong bones. The spring sun is shining, and we will go on an outing to see the flowers.
Chinese business all-media reporter Chen Mengyang
According to the Xi'an Mental Health Center