A hip fracture can put the life of the person who suffers it at risk. This injury occurs because the bones weaken. With the passage of time and with diseases such as osteoporosis, the risk of suffering from it increases.
Symptoms of this fracture include:
- Inability to walk or get up following a fall.
- Severe pain in the hip or groin.
- Inability to bear weight on the leg on the side of the injured hip.
- Bruising and swelling in and around the hip area.
- Shorter leg on the side of the injured hip.
- Outward rotation of the leg on the side of the injured hip.
With age, older adults are at increased risk of falling or developing osteoporosis, a disease that makes bones brittle and weak, increasing the risk of falling.
“Between 5 and 10% of falls suffered by older people result in a bone fracture, especially in the wrist, shoulder and hip or femoral head, which are the usual points of impact. The risk of fracture as a result of a fall increases up to 30% in people over 80 years of age”, explains the Sanitas health entity.
For women, it is important to have a diet rich in calcium and a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of hip fracture.
“Your body can’t make calcium. Your body gets calcium only through the food you eat or from supplements if you don’t get enough calcium in your diet Or, if your body doesn’t absorb enough calcium, your bones may weaken or not grow properly,” details Medline Plus, the US National Library of Medicine website.
How to prevent falls?
The National Institutes of Health of the United States (NIH, for its acronym in English) indicate that taking care of comprehensive health It can help reduce the chance of falling. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Exercise regularly: Physical activity is an important factor for the overall health of the human body. In addition to having physical benefits such as maintaining a good weight, it contributes to mental health, as it helps reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Have a vision and hearing screening: Some small changes in hearing and vision can cause falls. That’s why it’s important to see your doctor regularly for checkups.
Rest: sometimes not getting enough sleep can cause people to feel sleepy and may fall.
Osteoporosis
This disease is silent. Some people only realize they have it until they break a bone. That’s why it’s important to have regular medical exams to check the health of your bones. According to Medline Plus, osteoporosis may include the following symptoms:
- Back pain.
- stooped posture
- Repetitive fractures in the same bone.
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become weak or thin, causing them to become brittle. This increases the risk of fractures from simple movements such as bending over or coughing.
Medline Plus notes that anyone can develop osteoporosis; however, there are several risk factors:
- The aging.
- Being small and slim.
- Family history of osteoporosis.
- Take certain medications.
- Being a Caucasian or Asian woman.
- Have low bone density.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization dedicated to clinical practice, education and research, the risk of osteoporosis increases in people who have the following medical problems:
- Celiac Disease.
- Inflammatory bowel disease.
- Kidney or liver disease.
- Cancer.
- Multiple myeloma.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
