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Avoiding Falls

Balance and fall prevention for seniors

Dizziness can happen at any age, but if it results in falling it can be a serious health concern, particularly in the older adult. Studies show that you can take action to reduce dizziness and your risk of falling.

Balance & Aging

A decline in inner ear function may be caused by a number of conditions, including normal aging, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), infection, Meniere’s disease, or diminished blood flow to specialized nerve cells. This article reviews the factors that affect vestibular function in the older adult.

Fall Prevention

One of the leading health concerns for people over the age of 60 is falling, which is often related to balance problems. Each year millions of adults fall, and one in five of those falls leads to serious injury. Learn why seniors are at higher risk for falls, and what you can do about it.

Falls at Any Age

Falls can happen anywhere, anytime. Falls are common among senior citizens and some even incorrectly consider them a normal part of aging. But the truth is, anyone at any age can suffer a devastating fall as a result of vestibular system dysfunction. The vestibular system lives in the inner ear and tells the brain where you are relative to your surroundings. If the vestibular system is damaged due to illness or injury, a person might experience dizziness, imbalance, disorientation, or even spinning vertigo, resulting in a fall. Whether you’re 16 or 60 years old, if you have a vestibular disorder, take precautions to prevent a fall.

Researchers Develop Fall Scale

The recording of fall events is usually subjective and imprecise, which limits clinical practice and falls-related research. Researchers sought to develop and validate a scale to grade near-fall and fall events based on their severity represented by the use of healthcare resources, with the goal of standardizing fall reporting in the clinical and research settings.