Only elderly people get osteoporosis? I was just 22

A Co Antrim man diagnosed with osteoporosis at the age of 22 has spoken out about his debilitating condition - in a bid to debunk the myth that only elderly ladies are affected.

Ian Scroggy, from Carnlough, urged people not to risk their health by falling into the trap of thinking they are the wrong age or gender to develop the chronic bone disease.

And the 35-year-old urged anyone who might be at risk of the disease to ask their GP for testing.

"It's known as a silent disease because it's usually too late by the time someone realises they have it," he said.

"The earlier the diagnosis, the better it is for getting the right treatment to try to stop progression."

Mr Scroggy, a horticulturalist, was diagnosed with osteoporosis after falling while working in an orchard in New Zealand. He was sent for a scan which showed up the condition.

He returned to Northern Ireland when he recovered from his fall and has since been diagnosed with fibromyalgia as well.

Mr Scroggy managed a garden centre until he was forced to retire because of his ill health. He now occasionally helps out at his parents' garden business.

"When I was diagnosed, I had never heard of osteoporosis. I didn't really know where to turn when I came home as support services here are practically non-existent," Mr Scroggy said.

Osteoporosis affects half of women and one in five men in the UK over the age of 50 and is a painful and debilitating condition which affects the bones.

June is National Osteoporosis Month and this year the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) has been raising awareness of the disease among men.

People at risk include smokers, heavy drinkers, people with a low body weight or family history of osteoporosis, any condition which leaves you immobile for long periods of time, or those taking high level of corticosteroid tablets for conditions such as asthma and arthritis.
source:www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk