14 Things That Increase the Risk of Osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis is a common health condition that affects both children and adults equally, and approximately 2.4 people out of every 100, 000. While this might make it sound like a rare condition, it’s true that there are more diagnosed cases of osteomyelitis in the average emergency room than you might think – and treatment should be actioned as soon as possible in cases where the condition is suspected.

The condition can be described as a type of bacterial bone infection, and it happens when the infection itself migrates – usually through the bloodstream – to other parts of the body, where it causes a vast array of complications for the health.

There are several risk factors that can increase your overall risk of developing the condition, including diabetes, skin infections, infections elsewhere in the body and other factors such as high blood pressure or being a smoker.

Here are 8 you should know.

1. Smoking

Almost everyone who smokes has been told they shouldn’t, and it’s a commonly known fact that smoking cigarettes aren’t good for your health – but because of exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke and due to the fact that the compounds in tobacco (such as nicotine) are so addictive, a lot of people end up smoking cigarettes anyway despite knowing how bad it can be for their health.

If you’re a smoker, especially a long-term one, you’re at an automatically increased risk of developing a range of different health conditions that can include high blood pressure, heart disease, disorders of the lungs and osteomyelitis over time.

If you’re a smoker, then the first thing that you should do is think about how you’re going to quit; if you haven’t started smoking yet, then the best advice for you is to never start with the habit of smoking in the first place.