Female Focus
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Bone fractures – what to do when you break a bone and how to avoid falls
As a child or young adult your bones are very strong and can almost always stand up to the pressure you put on them when you are running, falling, crashing into things and all the other things that happen during daily life. Your bones can even bend a little and come back straight again.
But as a senior, your bones become less dense and they weaken. With age may come wisdom, but also all too frequently, a fall. Falls do happen, often resulting in fractures. They can be very serious, in fact, for about half of all seniors hospitalised for say a hip fracture, they cannot return home or live independently after the fall.
Types of fractures For seniors, fractures are the most serious consequence of falls. The most common bones to fracture in falls are: •The hip, femur (thigh bone), pelvis, and vertebrae (spine) •The humerus (upper arm bone), forearm, and hand •The leg and ankle bones.
What does it feel like to break a bone?
It hurts! How much it hurts can depend on where the fracture is and how your body reacts. Your brain will be getting messages from all over your body, not just the site of the break, so you may have several different things you could notice: a lot of pain around where the bone is broken, dizziness, feeling cold and shivery, swelling, bruising, not being able to move that part of the body, the limb looks deformed or different in some way, some people feel sick or vomit, some people pass out, some people cry, and yet some people don’t feel any pain for a while. However, if there is any likelihood that a bone has been broken, when possible, imobilise the area and call an ambulance because an x-ray will need to be taken at hospital to see the extent of the injury. If you are a member of the Asociacion Europeos de Javea (AAEdJ) ambulance service, then call them on 96 579 6099 (24hr) and they will have one of their state-of-the-art ambulances directly on its way to you. If you are not a member then call 112 and you will need to wait for an ordinary ambulance to arrive. The AAEdJ ambulance service covers almost all of Costa Blanca North and will come straight to you wherever you are. Cover costs just €50 for a whole year for the whole family, so membership is fantastic value.
However, the very best thing is to avoid a fall in the first place. Do Strength and Balance Exercises – do exercises that make your legs stronger and improve your balance. Tai Chi or Pilates are a good example of this kind of exercise. Have Your Eyes Checked – by an Optician at least once a year, and be sure to update your glasses if needed. If you have bifocal lenses, you may want to get a pair of glasses with only your distance prescription for outdoor activities, such as walking. Sometimes bifocal lenses can make things seem closer or farther away than they really are. Make Your Home Safer - Get rid of things you could trip over, add grab bars inside and outside your bath or shower and next to the toilet, put railings on both sides of stairs, make sure your home has lots of light by adding more or brighter light bulbs. However, for peace of mind, and just in case an ambulance is needed for an injury after a fall, or for any other medical emergency, to become a member of the AAEdJ call and speak with Laure Bolufer the Registration Manager on 96 579 6099 (Laure works from 10am to 1pm every weekday).
ASOCIACION AMIGOS EUROPEOS DE JAVEA. Avenida Juan Carlos 1, No 69, 03730 Jávea. Telephone 96 579 6099 (24hr) Email:
amigos_europeos@yahoo.es.
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