There are some risk factors that can put you at risk for falling. For example, drugs that cause dizziness or drowsiness can sometimes increase your risk for falling. Therefore, it is very important to have your family doctor and pharmacist be aware of your falls and injuries. They can help you determine if there are specific causes for your falls.
Some patients might feel that it is unnecessary to go see a doctor after a simple fall. They might choose to use some ointments and rubs at home to ease the pain. However, this is not always the best thing to do. For this month's blog, we asked Dr. Hang Cheng to give us some tips on what to do immediately after a fall and also what we can do to prevent future episodes of falling.
“Fall evaluation is complex and is
different for every person. For example, considerations to do extensive testing
are different for a 20 year-old with no health conditions compared to a frail
80 year-old with many health issues. In
any doubt, you should see a health professional as soon as possible for
complete evaluation.
Pre-existing conditions are important to
consider when evaluating a fall. In general, the poorer the health status, the
lower the threshold to seek medical evaluation. For example, if you are 65 years and older, if
you are osteoporotic, or if you are taking an anticoagulant such as Coumadin or
Pradaxa, your threshold to see a doctor after a fall should be much lower.
Also, the mechanism of fall is important.
For example, your threshold to see a health professional should be much lower
if you fall from height or from stairs than if you fall from your own height.
The suspicion of serious injury is also higher if you fall on a hard surface
such as on ice or in bathroom floor compared to soft surfaces.
Last but not least, the point of contact is
also important to consider, if you fall on your head or on your spine, your
considerations to see a doctor should be greater. Of course, if you lose
consciousness, cannot get up or if you see any bony deformity, you or someone
else should call an ambulance immediately. Again, if you suspect any
abnormality or fracture, seeing a health professional is always advised.
As always, the best way to treat a disease
if to prevent the disease. The same rule applies to falls. You can reduce your
chances of falling by doing exercises to strengthen your lower extremities, by
improving your balance skills (ex: Tai Chi is a proven exercise to improve
balance), by using appropriate aid (ex: comfortable, non-slippery shoes, cane,
vision correction on a yearly basis), by adjusting your medications to prevent
dizziness and/or hypotension and lastly, by having a balanced nutrition to
provide enough calcium.”Dr. Hang Cheng is currently accepting new patients.
If you are looking for a new family doctor, please call 416-291-0033 to book an appointment.
Patients often tell us that they want
to increase their intake of calcium, but they do not like taking calcium pills. For this month's blog, we asked registered dietitian, Rowena Leung, for special
tips on getting more calcium from natural sources.
One simple and unique way of obtaining
calcium is by crushing eggshells into powder and adding the powder into our
meals. 1 teaspoonful contains approximately 800-1,000 mg. of calcium. Here’s how to do it:
- Put eggshells into a pot of boiling water
- Cook for 10 mins and then drain the water and let the shells dry on a baking sheet
- Put the shells into the oven and bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 mins
- Remove shells from the oven and grind up the shells into powder by using a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle
- Store powder in a tightly sealed jar
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