Falls are a serious worry for many of us in later life. They can have a serious impact on our day-to-day lives and our confidence. Sometimes, a fall can be life changing. This may be even more likely if you are at risk of fragility fractures. The likelihood of experiencing breaking a bone may increase as we get older. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent fragility fractures.
What is a Fragility Fracture?
As we age, we naturally lose bone density. Whilst this is usually nothing to worry about, and simply a consequence of ageing, it can increase our risk of serious injury. Normal fractures affect the bones, and usually require great force to occur. A fragility fracture, however, can be caused with much less force. The most common cause of fragility fractures is a fall from standing height.
This causes a break to one or more bones. Arm, leg, hip, and spinal fractures are most frequent, but any bone could be affected.
Causes of Fragility Fractures
Fractures to bones become more likely when bones are weaker. Surprisingly, bone density starts to decrease around the age of 35. However, this is usually very gradual and is unlikely to have a detrimental effect on your health. In later life, however, if bone density decreases enough it may increase the likelihood of fragility fractures.
One of the leading causes of fragility fractures is osteoporosis. A person with osteoporosis loses bone density at a greater rate, making their bones more fragile. Often, osteoporosis is not discovered until a fracture occurs.
Other causes of bone weakness resulting in fragility fractures include bone cysts, bone cancer, Paget’s Disease of Bone, or inherited conditions that affect the strength of bone.
Preventing Fragility Fractures
A fragility fracture can have a major impact on your lifestyle and confidence. Therefore, you want to prevent a fragility fracture wherever possible. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of experiencing a fracture.
Healthy Diet
What you eat affects your health in several ways. If you want to prevent fragility fractures, you need to be eating foods that contribute to healthy bones and keep your body at a healthy weight. Being overweight or underweight can both increase your risk of fragility fractures.
You should make sure you are eating foods that are rich in calcium and protein, as these improve your bones and muscle strength respectively. Muscle strength can help to reduce the risk of falls, which in turn reduces the risk of fragility fractures.
You should also make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D, as this improves the body’s ability to absorb calcium and keep bones strong. If you are struggling to maintain a healthy diet, consider calcium or Vitamin D supplements. However, if you are on any medication you should consult with your doctor before adding supplements to your diet.
Exercise
It’s important to stay active in later life. The NHS recommends that people over 65 do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week. If you are at risk of fragility fractures, however, you may be worried about engaging in sports or workouts.
Fortunately, there are exercises that are less likely to cause strain to your body. As you continue to exercise, your strength will improve, and you will feel more confident. Good exercises to start with include walking, yoga, gardening, and water aerobics. Exercising in water, especially, can help to look after your bones. The resistance of water takes weight off your bones and joints and helps to strengthen muscles, which reduces the risk of falls.
Medication
Preventing fragility fractures could come down to the medication you take. Some medications can increase the rate of bone density loss, whilst others can help to fight osteoporosis and other conditions affecting your bones.
If you are concerned about fragility fractures, consider speaking to your doctor about what medications you are currently taking. They may be able to alter your prescription to reduce the risk.
Be Mindful of Posture
One of the most effective ways to prevent fragility fractures is to avoid putting unnecessary strain on your bones. Bending, slouching, and overstretching can all increase your chances of triggering a fracture or, in some cases, experiencing a fall. This is especially important to keep in mind, as most fragility fractures affect the spine.
Keeping good posture in everything you do is the best way to keep your body healthy. For people at risk of fragility fractures, this includes turning the spine as little as possible. Consider using steps or stools to reduce how much you crouch or bend, and be sure to lift objects by bending your knees instead of your back. Never lift objects that are beyond your strength. It is also important not to overextend. If something is out of reach, consider using a grabbing tool instead.
Quit Smoking
You may not think of smoking as something that affects your bone health, but the truth is that it does. Smokers are at increased risk of fragility fractures compared to non-smokers. This is because smoking reduces the body’s ability to absorb calcium, which is crucial to keeping bones healthy. Furthermore, nicotine slows the production of cells responsible for healing bones, which causes an imbalance in the body’s natural bone renewal processes.
Quitting smoking can be difficult, especially if you have been doing it for many years. However, the benefits of stopping far outweigh the negatives of continuing. If you need extra support, read our guide to quitting smoking.
You should also consider cutting down on alcohol to reduce your risk of fragility fractures.
What If I Experience a Fragility Fracture?
Unfortunately, prevention isn’t always possible. If you experience a fragility fracture, it is important that you get it treated immediately. The sooner the bone is set and starts to heal, the less likely you are to experience long-term complications. Treatment for a fragility fracture will involve x-rays and medication to improve bone density. The fracture will likely be placed in a cast to support the healing process, though surgery is sometimes necessary.
Peace of Mind at Home
If you experience a fall at home, it’s important that you can call for help. However, you may not always be close to your phone. Fortunately, a personal alarm can make it easy to get the support you need.
When you order a personal alarm from LifeConnect24, you will benefit from our 24/7 professional Response Team. In an emergency, simply press the button on your alarm pendant or base unit and an alert will be sent to our team. They will answer over the base unit loudspeaker to assess the situation before taking the appropriate action.
The Response Team will call your emergency contacts to let them know that help is required. If you require medical attention, or the Response Team cannot hear you or reach your emergency contacts, they will alert the emergency services.
To find out more about the LifeConnect24 service, read our in-depth guide. To order your alarm, call our sales team on 0800 030 8999 or order online. If you have any questions, check out our FAQs, or get in touch by calling our customer service team on 0800 999 0400 or using our contact form.
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