While all people who fall are at risk of injury, the age, gender and health of the individual can affect the type and severity of injury.
Certain conditions increase the likelihood of a person falling. These include:
- A history of previous falls — If you have fallen more than once in the past 6 months, you are more likely to fall again.
- Low blood pressure — Older people with naturally low blood pressure may feel light-headed, dizzy or unsteady while moving.
- Postural (orthostatic) hypotension — With this condition, blood pressure drops when someone changes position, such as going from sitting to standing. Older people with postural hypotension — whether natural or due to a medication’s side effect — are at increased risk of having a fall.
- Incontinence — You may need to hurry to the toilet often, increasing the risk of a fall, particularly at night.
- Stroke, Parkinson’s disease and arthritis — These conditions change the way you move, and make it harder to react quickly and stop yourself if you stumble.
- Diabetes — Changes in blood sugar levels can make you feel faint. Diabetes can also affect your eyesight and reduce feeling in your feet and legs.
- Depression — Older people with depression may take a medicine that can increase their risk of falling
- Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia — Older persons with dementia can become less aware of their surroundings and less able to react quickly.
