7 Conditions You Can Fix to Prevent Dangerous Falls

At Clifton Foot & Ankle Center, we’re always glad when September comes around because it’s time to remind our Fairfax County patients about Falls Prevention Awareness Month.
Falling is a huge issue for senior citizens. Just one fall can quickly rob a senior of his independence. Each year 800,000 older Americans fall and sustain a broken bone or traumatic head injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Such injuries are often the catalyst that forces an older person out of his home and into assisted living or nursing care.
You can greatly reduce your risk of falling by addressing these seven health and safety areas:
- Foot and shoe problems. When your feet hurt from bunions, heel pain, or fallen arches, you’re probably not walking normally. Lack of stability in your feet or shoes can easily cause you to trip and fall. As for shoes, throw away any that are torn, have worn-out soles, or whose support and cushioning have disappeared.
- Leg or back problems. You’re more likely to fall if you’re having trouble standing or walking because of leg, knee, or back pain.
- Overall balance problems. If you don’t exercise, have a weak core, or have become generally deconditioned from COVID-inspired inactivity – your sense of balance probably isn’t as good as it could be. Improve it by practicing yoga, Tai-chi, or qigong.
- Poor vision. Visit your eye doctor regularly to make sure your vision is properly corrected.
- Hazards and obstacles in your house. Remove anything that can cause you to fall, area rugs, piles of debris, and electrical cords that cross your pathway.
- Insufficient lighting in the home. Install lights in dark hallways, stairwells, and your home’s exterior. The pathway may be clear and your glasses prescription up to date, but if there’s not enough light, your chances of tripping and falling go up.
- Medications that need adjustment. If you feel off-balance or dizzy, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or our board-certified podiatrist, Kenneth R. Wilhelm, DPM, to review your prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Having just one of the above conditions puts you at a higher risk of falling. And your risk increases if you can relate to several of them. Make Falls Prevention Awareness Month a time to fix the conditions that can cause you to fall. Contact us online or call our Centreville office at (703) 996-3000 and ask Dr. Wilhelm to perform a falls risk assessment or fix your aching feet.