September is home to National Falls Prevention Awareness Week (Sept. 18-22), and at FYZICAL we’re working to shine a spotlight on the dangers of falling and the importance of fall prevention through our Fight the Fall initiative. Taking proactive measures to prevent falls is crucial, as it allows you to maintain independence and continue to do the activities you love! Our goal is to help eliminate falls by educating our communities about fall risk while helping to improve balance and enhance overall well-being.
The risk of falling increases with age, but falls can happen to anyone, at any time, for many different reasons. Most cases of falling involve multiple different causes or risk factors. Several of the more common types include:
- Muscle weakness, especially in the legs
- Side effects of medications like sedatives, antidepressants, or cold medicine can cause drowsiness or dizziness
- Loss of hearing
- Incontinence that causes frequent or urgent trips to the bathroom.
- Drop-in blood pressure
If you find that you are dizzy or otherwise losing your balance, don’t ignore it. It is important to seek help as soon as balance issues begin. A lot of people wait too long, but the longer you wait, the worse it can get. Contact FYZICAL if you're experiencing these issues.