Keeping Safe: Learn What To Do After A Fall
Falls catch you off guard, don’t they? They’re like thieves at night. They leave you unsure of how to react and all you can do is panic. Be it a major fall or a minor one, it still takes time for you to process the situation.
No one is safe from a fall. It does not discriminate based on age, gender, color, or other criteria. It can happen to anyone. Due to this instant nature of falls, they always leave us in a state of panic. Once we’ve landed on the ground out of the blue, we’re unsure of what to do next.
Now you can learn about what to do after a fall and how to be safe. Here is a guide that will help you become aware of the most effective tips you can follow to be safe after a fall and prevent any such future incidents.
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Find The Perfect Medical Alert Device.
Take our 30 second quiz and discover which Life Assure medical alert device is the right fit for you or a loved one.
Effective Tips To Know What To Do After A Fall And Be Safe
Falls are like rainfall. You know they’re going to come sometime but never know exactly when. Here are the most effective tips you can use to be safe after you have suffered a fall.
1. Catch Your Breath:
When you suffer a fall, your first reaction is to panic. This is normal because no one expects a fall, it just happens out of the blue. As such, you can neither predict a fall nor prepare for it. However, it's best to take some time to relax and catch your breath.
Be it minor or major, falls cause some injuries. Before they get worse, it's always important to come back to your consciousness so that you can take the correct steps. So relax, take a deep breath, and gain back your awareness.
2. Get Up Slowly:
One of the most important things you should avoid after you suffer a fall is getting up abruptly. This can lead you to have an injury when you could have avoided it. Instead, lie on your side and drag yourself to the nearest sturdy support using your arms and legs.
You can then lean on the furniture or object you’ve caught hold of. Rest for a while and once you’re feeling better, you can get up slowly.
Stay calm throughout the process as when you panic, the situation will only get worse. This is one of the crucial steps to know what to do after a fall.
3. Check For Injuries:
You must check if you have any minor or major injuries after the fall. This is highly important because sometimes, you may not feel any pain but the injury might still be present. Such injuries are even worse as they are a slow poison.
They gradually grow and put you at risk of developing other health conditions. Hence, whether you feel any pain or not, it's best to report the incident to a medical professional at your earliest convenience.
Doing so will help you be in the safe zone and you can determine whether you need more help or not.
4. Use Compression:
If you feel some pain after falling down, and do not know what to do after a fall, it's best to use compression. Take some ice packs or cooling bags and press them on the area of pain. Let it stay there for a while.
The back, ribs, chest, or leg are among the top body pain areas after an accident. In the absence of treatment, these injuries become more severe over time.
Sometimes, visual deformities do not occur but the pain might still be there. In either case, using compression is recommended to get short-term help.
5. Reach For Assistance:
The next step is to reach out for some assistance as soon as possible. Be it a friend, a family member, or a healthcare professional, you need to dial that number. Seek help because there’s only so much you can do when alone and injured.
These days, we have our cell phones with us at all times. Hence, you can reach into your pocket and access your phone immediately after the fall. The quicker you call, the sooner the concerned person can come for your assistance.
6. Check With A Medical Professional:
Regardless of whether you’ve suffered a serious injury or not, visit the doctor. The doctor knows best about what to do after a fall. As mentioned before, not all injuries are visible or make their presence felt.
After you visit a medical professional, they can evaluate your fall and analyze whether there has been any underlying injury or not. Untreated injuries are a breeding ground for health risks that can have life-threatening impacts.
If you are confident of an injury, the professional will help you get the right medication and treatment. Gaining the right aid and assistance will ensure that the fall does not impact your life heavily.
7. Get Some Physical Therapy:
Some falls cause serious injuries which require the intervention of a physiotherapist. Getting physical therapy is a wise decision as your muscles become tense after its injured. Physical therapy moves the muscles and helps them relax.
Additionally, your tense nerves can become more free. However, it is important to remember that physical therapy isn't a one-time activity. It can last for weeks or months depending on the pace of your recovery. Rest assured, it will help you regain your physical health and confidence.
A Handy Guide To Avoid A Fall In The Future
First of all, you have become educated on the methods to assist a person in a case when he/she has a fall. The caution that “Prevention is better than cure” becomes even more important as prevention can better be described as the best alternative to cure is still relevant.
We can never be sure when the fall will come, nevertheless, we can certainly stop it, or expand the safety measures.
Protect yourself from slipping or knowing the correct protocols regarding what to do after a fall by acquiring an assistive device. Different assistive devices are available in the marketplaces
Medical alerts have become a revolutionary device in aiding people with their medical conditions. It facilitates automatic fall detection eliminating the need for you to put in effort once you’ve hit the floor.
Final Thoughts
Few things like a fall happen to be unwelcome guests in our lives. They make their way into our lives nonetheless. All that matters is how long you will entertain their impact.