Suffer Your First Fragility Fracture? 3 Little-Known Tips for Preventing Future Fractures

2 February 2017
 Categories: Health & Medical , Blog

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If you fractured a bone just due to falling from a standing position or even while coughing, sneezing, or simply walking, then your medical orthopedics specialist likely informed you that you suffered a fragility fracture. The news that you have "fragile" bones that break easily may have been shocking if you were never diagnosed with osteoporosis or any other bone problem in the past. You may feel very worried that you will continue breaking bones in the future, but learning how to prevent future fractures can ease your worries. Read on to learn three tips for preventing future fragility fractures.  

1. Enroll in a Fragility Fracture Program at a Local Hospital

While you may dread being inside of a hospital again due to another fracture, it is a good idea to visit one once you are fully recovered from your current fracture to inquire about a fragility fracture program. Hospitals all over the country are offering these programs to people prone to fragility fractures, and the goal of the programs are to offer services that help you prevent future fractures. 

When you join one of these programs, the medical orthopedics staff and other staff members may offer you bone density tests to assess your risk of future fractures, educational workshops where you can learn how to move safely with fragile bones, prescription bone-building vitamins and medications, and even bone-building physical therapy sessions. 

Program offerings vary, but taking just a few hours out of your week to participate in a program can be a great safeguard against future fractures. 

2. Speak to Your Doctor About Medications You Take That Increase the Risk of Falls

There are many medications that increase the risk of falls, and if you broke a bone when falling from a standing position, then a medication you take may have been partially to blame for the fall. If you have not yet taken a visit to your primary care physician to discuss your fragility fracture, then it is important to follow up with them. During your visit, you should discuss any medications you take that increase your fall risk and whether there are safer alternatives for you. 

Common medications that can increase the fall risk of people who take them include some antidepressants, hypnosedatives (sleeping pills), and benzodiazepines. If you take one of these medications, then your doctor can look into every other medication in its class and see if there is another that does not have the fall risk of the medication you currently take. 

3. Visit Your Ophthalmologist for a Vision Exam

If you have never worn eyeglasses or contact lenses, then you may not visit an ophthalmologist regularly for eye exams. If you haven't had your vision tested in a year, then it is a good idea to have it checked to make sure your vision is still 20/20; good vision is important for avoiding falls, running into items around the home, and just navigating through life safely while avoiding injury. 

If you currently wear eyeglasses and tend to walk around the house without them on late at night or early in the morning, then it is a good idea to make a habit of keeping them on any time you are not in bed at night to prevent falls around the house. 

If you just suffered your first fragility fracture, then you may be worried that you are doomed to breaking more bones in the future. Follow these tips and visit a medical orthopedics specialist like Soloway Stephen MD Arthritis & Rheumatology to assess your future fracture risk and learn more fracture prevention tips.