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Prevention of Falls in the Elderly
Author(s) -
Overstall P. W.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1980.tb01125.x
Subject(s) - medicine , vertigo , balance (ability) , fear of falling , vestibular system , blame , falling (accident) , physical medicine and rehabilitation , injury prevention , poison control , balance problems , balance disorders , occupational safety and health , fall prevention , physical therapy , medical emergency , psychiatry , audiology , surgery , pathology
To prevent falls effectively, one must first understand the underlying reasons. Although environmental factors are sometimes to blame, the fundamental cause is a decline in postural control which is partly age‐related and partly due to pathologic changes in the central nervous system. Dizziness is a common complaint among those who fall, and it is often caused by a central or peripheral vestibular disorder. Many patients who complain of dizziness do not have true vertigo but are expressing a fear of falling. Balance exercises can improve postural control and confidence in these patients. Falls are not inevitable in old age and may be prevented by maintenance of health, mobility and confidence, the avoidance of certain drugs, identification of specific problems such as cardiac arrhythmias or postural hypotension, and attention to environmental hazards.