Every year millions of people fall and the risk of falling drastically increases as you age. In fact, 3 million older adults are treated in the emergency department for fall injuries annually. Around 800,000 people become hospitalized due to the severity of their injuries1. However, many falls can be prevented by making some small changes in your day-to-day life.
This section of Preventing Falls covers:
What can happen when you fall?
What causes falls?
There are many factors that can increase your risk of falling. Many of these become more important as you age. Often a person will have several of these risk factors causing their fall. The more risk factors a person has the higher the risk of falling becomes.
The most common risk factors are:
- Biological risk factors
- Weak muscles
- Balance issues
- Loss of sensation in your feet
- Vision changes or loss of vision
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Chronic health conditions, for example arthritis
- Certain medications, for example some antidepressants
- Behavioral risk factors
- Lack of activity
- Risky behaviors, for example standing on a chair or rolling stool
- Alcohol use
- Environmental risk factors
- Tripping hazards, for example rugs, clutter, or door thresholds
- Poor lighting
- Lack of grab bars and rails
It is important to identify any risk factors that might be present in your life. Once you have identified the risk factors you can take active steps to change or modify these to prevent falling. Talk to your primary health care provider or your Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) team to help you with this process.
What can happen when you fall?
Not every fall will cause an injury, but many can. Some injuries are rather mild and may just cause minor bruising or scrapes. Others may lead to broken bones or head traumas. Often people experience hip fractures and head injuries. In fact, over 95% of all hip fractures in the US are caused by a fall. Falls are also the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI)1.
While falls are dangerous to everyone, they pose a significant danger to people with bleeding disorders. Even minor falls can cause a bleeding episode, which requires immediate treatment.
If you want more information about bleeding episodes, please go to Identifying Types of Bleeds.
If you have fallen, you might become afraid of falling again. This is a normal reaction, and many people experience this fear. However, fear of falling can cause a person to become less active and limit their normal day-to-day activities. This will lead to muscle weakness, which further increases the risk of falling again. Talk to your primary health care provider or HTC team to help you develop a plan to overcome your fears.
How can you prevent falls?
Many falls can be prevented. Here are some simple steps for you to take to decrease your risk of falling:
Gentle exercise, even simply walking a little bit each day, can help prevent balance trouble. Low impact sports, such as yoga, tai chi, and water aerobics can also help your balance by improving strength and posture. If you need aid during balance exercises, think about using a walker, cane, or the back of a chair to steady yourself.
Stronger muscles help support your joints and keep your body upright. Done with proper form to prevent injury, any exercise you do will help improve your strength. Exercise smartly. Don't push your body harder than it can handle and risk injury. Start slowly and increase the intensity of your routine as you build strength.
When you are not physically active, you lose the muscle strength that you had built up. Doing some form of daily activity may help prevent this.
Know what to do in case of a fall. For example, wearing a wireless medical alert device will allow you to call for help if you fall when you are alone.
Ask them to review your current medication list to find out if anything might make you dizzy or sleepy. This should include your prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. You can also talk to your health care provider about whether you should be taking vitamin D supplements.
Make sure to have your eyes checked at least once a year to identify any changes in eyesight. Update your eyeglasses and lenses if needed. If you are wearing bifocal or progressive lenses, make sure that these are not causing you to lose your balance. These types of lenses can make things appear closer or further away than they are.
You can prevent falls by removing any tripping hazards and installing support items. Below you will find some more detailed tips to make your home as safe as possible.
Tips for Preventing Falls in Your Home: Make Your Home Safe
- Stairs and pathways should be kept free of any items, such as shoes, clothes, papers, or electrical cords that can be tripping risks
- Coil electrical cords or tape them next to the wall
- Do not use area rugs
- Use a revolving tray in cabinets or keep things within reach so a step stool is not needed
- Install lights in all stairwells and handrails on all staircases
- Fix loose or uneven steps
- Make sure handrails go beyond the top and bottom of stairs and are on both sides.
- Use nonslip pads in the shower and bathtub
- Install grab bars near the bath and toilet. Don't rely on towel racks. They are not weight bearing
- Install a bath seat in the tub or shower
- Have a transfer bench near the bathtub
- Avoid going barefoot or wearing slippers. Wear sturdy shoes that give adequate support and grip
- Use night-lights
- Paint door thresholds a different color to prevent tripping
If you want more information about adapting your home to your needs, please go to Functional Activity Limitations.
- CDC. (2021). Facts about Falls. https://www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html