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Enquiry includes difficulty with walking and balance, medication use to help with sleep/mood, loss of sensation in feet, vision problems, fear of falling, and use of assistive devices for walking. Older adults who report falls should be asked about their circumstances and frequency to assess risks from gait and balance which may be compromised.
Syncope ((syncope ⓘ), commonly known as fainting or passing out, is a loss of consciousness and muscle strength characterized by a fast onset, short duration, and spontaneous recovery. [1] It is caused by a decrease in blood flow to the brain , typically from low blood pressure . [ 1 ]
The aim of medical management is to identify factors that can contribute to falls and fracture risk such as osteoporosis, multiple medications, balance and gait problems, loss of vision and a history of falls. Beers Criteria is a list of medications that are potentially inappropriate for use in the elderly and some of them increase the risk of ...
Balance is the result of several body systems working together: the visual system (eyes), vestibular system (ears) and proprioception (the body's sense of where it is in space). Degeneration or loss of function in any of these systems can lead to balance deficits. [1]
Apart from treating underlying reversible causes (e.g., stopping or reducing certain medications, treating autoimmune causes), several measures can improve the symptoms of orthostatic hypotension and prevent episodes of syncope (fainting). Even small increases in the blood pressure may be sufficient to maintain blood flow to the brain on standing.
When resulting from blood loss, trauma is the most common root cause, but severe blood loss can also happen in various body systems without clear traumatic injury. [3] The body in hypovolemic shock prioritizes getting oxygen to the brain and heart, which reduces blood flow to nonvital organs and extremities, causing them to grow cold, look ...
Orthostatic syncope refers to syncope resulting from a postural decrease in blood pressure, termed orthostatic hypotension. [1]Orthostatic hypotension occurs when there is a persistent reduction in blood pressure of at least 20mmHg systolic or 10mmHg diastolic within three minutes of standing or being upright to 60 degrees on the head-up tilt table.
Keeping a sense of balance requires the brain to process a variety of information received from the eyes, the nervous system, and the inner ears. If the brain is unable to process these signals, such as when the messages are contradictory, or if the sensory systems are improperly functioning, an individual may experience lightheadedness or ...