Falls Are a Leading Cause of Death in the Elderly

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

For men and women over the age of 65, the leading cause of injury-related death is falls. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the death rate attributable to falls in the elderly rose by more than 55% from 1993 through 2003. The problem is, not only have the death rates due to falls grown, they have surpassed the injury rates related to falls.

Part of the problem is related to the longevity of modern life. More and more often, we are living to an age when our bodies are frailty can mean a fall is deadly and not just and injury waiting to happen. But it is not just our longevity that promotes this problem - it is the diminished muscle strength and flexibility that older adults suffer from.

Flexibility & Strength

Our flexibility and strength is what helps us to catch ourselves when we start to slip and fall. When we lose our muscle strength and our flexibility is diminished - we are far more likely to hurt ourselves and as we age and our bones are more brittle and our muscle strength far less than it was - then injury and death are inevitable.

There are other factors, too, including arthritis. Arthritis can make your joints painful and stiff and increase the loss of mobility you have in your joints. There are medications you can take to help with this condition and those medications can cause dizziness and sleepiness. They can impair the balance. There are other conditions from heart disease to stroke to obesity that can affect an elderly person's physiology and can make them more prone to injury.

Regular exercise including stretching, walking and even mild weight training can make all the difference in the world. Tai Chi is a great exercise to help improve balance and strength as well as improving flexibility. Check in with your physician regularly and don't miss an annual check up. Be aware of the types of medications you are on and what the possible side effects might be.

Healthy Nutrition

Be sure to include a healthy dose of good nutrition in your diet and that you are getting plenty of vitamins and minerals. Calcium is an important part of the diet and between the healthy diet and the exercise, you will increase the strength of the bones and the flexibility of the muscles - both of these can help reduce your chances for injury and death as a direct result of a fall.

Do you exercise regularly?

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Tai Chi Heals Body & Mind As You Age

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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