hiya bucks in Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, Wycombe, Wooburn July 2016 | Page 16

YOUR HEALTH
with Dr. Thakkar

PRIDE COMES
BEFORE A FALL!
You may remember my previous article on bowel cancer screening as a means to
identify early disease. Whilst the subject of falls isn’t particularly at the cutting edge
of medicine, it’s absolutely essential we, as a community, focus on falls and falls
prevention. Just like sending off your bowel cancer screening kit may just save your
life, managing falls effectively could significantly reduce the risk of early death.
Falls cost the NHS an astounding £2.3 billion
per year. A third of people over the age of 65
and half of those over 80 will fall at least once
a year. Roughly a third of ambulance calls are
to people having fallen.
So what causes falls? It’s important to
recognise falls is not a medical diagnosis but
often a symptom of an underlying problem.
The causes can be divided into several
categories:
• E
 nvironmental factors account for around
a third of falls such as poor lighting, badly
fitting slippers, turned up mats/rugs and
slippery floors.
• M
 edicines can increase the risk of falls.
In fact, those living at home and who take
four or more drugs have a 30% increased
risk of falling whereas the risk increases
to 400% if living in a nursing home. (This
does not mean you should simply stop
your medication without chatting to your
doctor first!)
• C
 ardiac, neurological and musculoskeletal
diseases such as heart failure, dementia
and arthritis.
• G
 eneralised causes such as vitamin D
deficiency (which is rife in the UK). Taking

supplements from your chemist can
significantly reduce falls risk.
The consequences of falls cannot be
underestimated. Personal injuries can vary
from head injuries and hip fractures to
hypothermia and kidney failure. Confidence
is a huge problem after a fall and there is a
significant risk of anxiety, depression and
social isolation. Sadly, 10% of elderly people
will die in the first year after a fall.
Staggeringly around half of falls are
preventable which could save the NHS over
a billion pounds a year, reduce wait times in
our hospitals and, most importantly, reduce
suffering.
What can you do to reduce your risk or the risk
of those close to you?
• Use of sensible footwear and ensuring the
home is safe.
• 
Keeping fit and exercising will help
maintain your muscle strength and
coordination.
• 
Speak to your pharmacist or doctor if
you’re feeling unsteady or have fallen in the
last year.

Finally, come to my talk on falls where I’ll be speaking along with the local Falls Team

Bourne End library, Wednesday 13th July, 2pm.

For more information visit http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Falls/Pages/Prevention.aspx

Dr. Thakkar is a GP
at Pound House Surgery

Chiltern Clinical
Commissioning Group
16

To advertise in Hiya Bucks text or call 07947 349134