The Danger Of Bone Fractures In Elder Years
As you get older, you are at a higher risk of developing bone fractures or breaking your bones during a fall. These fractures can put your overall health at serious risk. Read on to learn more about the risk of bone fractures, their outcome, and some ideas on how to prevent them.
Increased Risk
Getting older leads to a decrease in bone density. Unfortunately, as bone density weakens, it increases the risk of even a minor fall causing a bone to fracture or entirely break. Even simply bumping into something or tripping over a ledge can potentially cause a bone fracture.
Results
When you're young, recovering from a broken bone is relatively easy. Sometimes surgery is required to repair it, but generally, the body recovers over time and knits the bone back together. However, it's harder for an older body to recover from a bone fracture, and if surgery is necessary to repair it, the danger of anesthesia and infection is higher for the elderly.
In addition, some broken bones actually result in death. Although women experience more hip fractures than men, making up 70% of the total hip fractures each year, men don't recover as well from them. According to one study, men are far more likely to die following a hip fracture.
While it's possible to recover from a bone fracture as an elder, the best thing you can do is avoid the injury entirely in the first place.
Reducing Risk
There are a few ways that you can reduce your risk of falling and breaking a bone. It's often recommended that elders develop an exercise or rehabilitation regimen to increase mobility so that tripping is less likely. In addition, weight training can help to increase bone density, which may help to reduce the risk of fractures.
One of the most common ways that people experience bone fractures is by falling in their bathroom. Getting in and out of the tub can be difficult for elders, and showers are notoriously slippery and dangerous. According to the CDC, two-thirds of accidental injuries occur in the bathtub or shower, and a quarter of a million people get hurt in the bathroom yearly in the United States.
An easy way to dramatically reduce this risk is to have a walk in tub installed in your bathroom. These tubs are generally quick and easy to install, sometimes fitting right over the existing tub. They have a door on the side that opens outwards, allowing users to walk right in and sit down on a supportive bench. The tub door can then be closed, sealing the entryway and allowing the user to either shower or take a bath. For more information on walk in tubs, visit a site like http://www.twincitystairlifts.com.
The risk of breaking a bone can be scary for older people, but with this knowledge, you can take steps to reduce your risk. Talk to your doctor about strengthening your bones, and consider having a walk in tub installed to reduce your risk of falling in the shower.