Often people think that once the age increases, the growth of the body stops, but do you know that as the age increases, the height of the human being actually starts decreasing? Many times, when people get their medical checkup done after the age of 40 or 50, they find that their height has become one or two inches shorter than before. Seeing this change, most people get worried whether it is a serious disease or a normal process of aging. Well-known orthopedic doctors and health experts of the country have revealed the mystery as to why our body starts shrinking at this stage of age.
According to doctors, losing a few centimeters of height in both men and women after the age of 40 can be a part of a natural process, but the structure of the spine is responsible for it. There are small cushioned discs between the vertebrae of our spine, which are called intervertebral discs. With increasing age, the amount of water and elasticity present in these discs decreases, due to which they gradually become thin and flat. When these vertebral discs of the spine shrink together, it has a direct impact on the length of the entire body and the height of the person starts appearing shorter than before.
Although it is normal to lose a little height with age, if this loss happens too quickly, it could be a sign of a silent disease called ‘Osteoporosis’. Due to osteoporosis, the bones become extremely weak, hollow and fragile from inside, which leads to fine fractures in the spine which are called ‘compression fractures’. Apart from this, muscle weakness (sarcopenia) and bad posture i.e. the habit of sitting slouched also play a big role in making the height appear short. Doctors say that due to hormonal changes after menopause in women, this problem is seen more rapidly than in men.
If you are living in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR or any part of the country, it is very important to keep your bones strong amidst the modern changing lifestyle. According to doctors, even after the age of 40, the pace of height loss can be slowed down to a great extent by adopting the right lifestyle. For this, include abundant calcium and vitamin D rich foods like milk, cheese, green vegetables and eggs in your daily diet. Also, regularly do weight-bearing exercises, stretching and yoga to keep the spine straight and strong. If your height is decreasing rapidly, then immediately consult a nearby specialist and get the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) i.e. DEXA Scan test done so that the treatment of hollowness of bones can be started in time.
