Infections—The Surprising Reason Why Many Seniors Fall

When I conduct a home safety assessment, fall prevention is front-of-mind as I walk through the home and identify safety hazards. Décor like throw rugs, and entryways with multiple steps are just a few of the potential fall hazards. Over two million seniors go to the emergency room each year from falls caused by safety hazards like throw rugs, or due to vision problems or mobility challenges. There’s also a surprising, lesser-known cause of falls that researchers recently identified—infections.

In a study led by Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, researchers discovered that bloodstream, urinary and respiratory infections are the most common infections that cause a fall. Infections can lower blood pressure and cause dizziness that can result in a fall. Seniors aren’t the only ones at risk, 20% of study participants that fell because of an infection were under the age of 65. Dr. Farrin Mannian, clinician educator at Massachusetts General Hospital and principal investigator of the study, said he was surprised in the past that some of the more serious infections he saw at the hospital were in patients that were seeking treatment for a fall.

“Even though many of the patients had vague early signs of an infection, such as weakness or lethargy, it was the fall that brought them in,” said Dr. Mannian, in a news release from Infectious Diseases Week (IDW). IDW is an annual meeting of infectious disease specialists.

This new research could mean it’s time for a fresh approach to fall prevention. In addition to assessing the home for potential safety hazards, it’s important for look out for signs of infection—like dizziness and low blood pressure. Illness can cause more confusion in individuals with dementia, so caregivers of dementia patients should also pay close attention to new behavioral changes as it may be a sign of an infection.