Bone health: Protecting yourself as you age

As we age, our bones become weaker and our risk for falls increase.

It’s not a car crash, but the results could be just as devastating as one, trauma surgeons say.

Outside of environmental conditions that might cause a person to slip or trip into a fall, there are a number of medical conditions — mostly affecting the elderly — that can result in falls, such as arthritis, impaired muscle function or balance, muscle weakness and even low blood pressure.

The falls can result in serious injuries, fractures to both the upper and lower extremities.

The cause for many falls can be addressed and their risk for injury lowered with some lifestyle changes, the most important of which is by having conversations about bone health with a primary care provider.

Yearly check-ups, tests to determine bone density, medications and vitamin and mineral supplements can all help.

The importance of addressing falls and avoiding fall injuries cannot be overstated as having a fracture increases the chances of having another, significantly limiting the ability to function independently.