Age-related loss of muscle mass (known as sarcopenia), problems with balance and gait, and blood pressure that drops too much when you get up from lying down or sitting (called postural hypotension) are all risk factors for falling.
According to healthdirect.gov, chronic health conditions like heart disease, dementia and low blood pressure can cause dizziness, which raises the risk of falling down.
Myth 2: Falling is something normal that happens as you get older. Reality: Falling is not a normal part of aging. Strength and balance exercises, managing your medications, having your vision checked and making your living environment safer are all steps you can take to prevent a fall.
Any fall that results in an injury is cause for concern, no matter how minor, and should receive treatment immediately. Injuries can appear small at first, but gradual or sudden changes in health or behavior are significant signs that an injury is worth a closer look.
Losing your balance while walking, or feeling imbalanced, can result from: Vestibular problems. Abnormalities in your inner ear can cause a sensation of a floating or heavy head and unsteadiness in the dark. Nerve damage to your legs (peripheral neuropathy).
Certain conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, or problems with your vision, thyroid, nerves, or blood vessels can cause dizziness and other balance problems.
By exercising, you can improve your balance and your strength, so you can stand tall and feel more confident when walking. Read on to find 14 exercises seniors can do to improve their balance. It's best to start off with a simple balance exercise for seniors.
“Typically, a person in their 50s should be able to balance on one leg for around 40 seconds. Someone in their 60s is looking at 20 seconds, and someone in their 70s is around 10 seconds,” Lubetzky continued.
Vitamin D may improve muscle strength and function, as well as balance due to the improved strength.
Falls are common and costly, especially among Americans age 65 and older. But falls are preventable and do not have to be an inevitable part of aging. Every second of every day, an older adult (age 65+) suffers a fall in the U.S.—making falls the leading cause of injury and injury death in this age group.
A drop attack is a sudden fall that seems to happen without cause. There are, however, many underlying conditions, such as heart problems and seizures, which might cause a drop attack to occur. If you have a drop attack, see your doctor for help in determining what may have caused it and how best to treat it.
Skeletal muscle strength and mass decline with age 57 , 58 , 71 and immobility. Impaired strength is a strong predictor of falls in most studies (Table 15-1) and may also increase the risk of injury from a fall.
There's little doubt that regular walking helps elders avoid falling. By strengthening bones and increasing muscle strength, flexibility and sense of balance, walking is an important fall prevention strategy.
Age. Age is one of the key risk factors for falls. Older people have the highest risk of death or serious injury arising from a fall and the risk increases with age.
The best predictor of falling is a previous fall. However, falls in older people rarely have a single cause or risk factor. A fall is usually caused by a complex interaction among the following: Intrinsic factors (age-related decline in function, disorders, and adverse drug effects)
Oranges may be the closest you'll get to a fruit containing vitamin D.
Causes of balance problems include medications, ear infection, a head injury, or anything else that affects the inner ear or brain. Low blood pressure can lead to dizziness when you stand up too quickly.