A bit off balance? Here's how to become more sure-footed
Between this primary season, the flu season, the coronavirus pandemic and the demands of juggling work, kids and your health, you may be feeling a bit off balance physically, as well as emotionally. Fortunately, making sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating right and exercising regularly helps you stay resilient, mentally and physically.
But if your balance challenges are caused by joint or bone issues, muscle weakness, visual limitations, neuropathy in your feet, hearing loss, low blood pressure or an inner ear infection or disease, you need to make sure you don’t fall and break a hip or hurt yourself in some other way.
Falls are the leading cause of injuries, both fatal and nonfatal, in folks who are 65-plus. There are some 300,000 hip fractures among seniors annually in the U.S. — 95% of them from falling, usually sideways. Overall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 20% of American seniors fall annually, and the problem seems to be getting worse.
That adds up to an enormous amount of suffering, heartbreak and expense: 3 million injuries from falls treated in emergency rooms annually; 27,000 deaths. The bill for all that? $50 billion.
Ironically, a fear of falling can lower your quality of life by limiting social engagement and increasing your feeling of vulnerability. It can also increase the risk of falling by keeping you from doing the very things that strengthen muscles and sharpen reflexes .
Checks & Balances
How do you know if you are having balance issues? You may notice that you’re rocking back and forth, or are tippy as you stand up from a chair or bend over to pick up something from the floor. Your gait may be halting or jerky. You may even have fallen in the past year — nothing serious, but if it was simply from your body’s failure to do what it should or because you were lightheaded, that’s a sign of emerging balance problems.
If any of those items ring true, it’s time to get professionally assessed. Your doctor can evaluate your gait, muscle tone and strength. There are two simple tests called “Get Up and Go” and the Berg Balance Scale that ask you to reach for something, pick up an object from the floor or get up from a chair, walk, turn and sit down again. These can tell you and your doctor a lot.
Next, have your doctor review the meds you’re using, both prescription and over the counter, to see if any one, or a combination, could cause balance problems. It also may be appropriate to measure your blood pressure in various positions (lying down, sitting and standing) and to have other tests that can reveal cardiovascular issues that may contribute to imbalance.
Get a vision test — cataract surgery reduces your fall risk and a hearing test. According to a study published in JAMA Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery, you use sound to orient yourself in the world, and when it’s compromised you lose an anchor for your sense of position and balance, especially if you also have compromised vision.
Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to improve your balance and reduce your risk of falls. Some ideas:
■ The National Council on Aging website lists “Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Programs” around the country. Go to ncoa.org and search “Find an Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Program in Your Area.”
■ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests tai chi as good practice to improve leg strength and balance.
■ Physical therapy with a balance specialist can be enormously helpful.
■ Other smart moves: Install grab bars around the toilet and in the tub/shower. Put railings on both sides of a stairway. Install bright lighting in your home and yard. Remove clutter and area rugs.