Winter-Proof Your Walk: Tips for Preventing Falls
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Winter-Proof Your Walk: Tips for Preventing Falls

As temperatures drop, your risk of slipping and falling on ice and snow goes up. If you’re lucky, you walk away with a bruised bottom and ego. But for many folks, especially those 65 and older, icy falls can lead to broken wrists, hips, and hands and even fatal head injuries. 

Of course, no one anticipates falling, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk. Here’s where to start:

Keep walkways clear of ice and snow. Apply sand or earth-friendly cat litter to well-used walkways and areas that commonly ice over to create traction.
Walk like a penguin. When walking on ice, shuffle your feet only slightly apart for better balance. Bending your knees slightly as you walk will also improve balance. Keep your hands free and out of your pockets to help you balance.

Walk sideways on inclines. When navigating icy inclines, turn sideways. Take small side-steps with your knees slightly bent for better balance and stability. 

Watch out for icy patches. Watch out for invisible ice when exiting cars or when walking up and down outdoor stairs. 

Choose your path wisely. If there are clean pathways with handrails, use them. If the sidewalk is icy, move just off the edge and walk on the snow or grass for traction. 

Wear shoes and boots with proper traction. Flat-soled footwear made of rubber and neoprene composite provides better traction than plastic and leather soles. For especially slippery conditions, you may want to invest in slip-on traction cleats or snow grips, which provide grip on snow and ice.

Use Assistive Devices Wisely.

If needed, use a cane or walker for added stability. Make sure any device you use is properly fitted for you.  Consider attaching an ice gripper to your cane tip or getting wheels specially designed for winter conditions for your walker.

Take your cell phone. Whenever you’re headed out in icy conditions, put your cell phone in your pocket. Having your hands free will help with balance, and if you do fall, you can call for help if needed.

Fall smart. If you feel yourself falling, try to land on something soft and use your arms to protect your head if necessary.

Stay still. If you do fall, resist the instinct to jump right up. Instead, take a few moments—or minutes—to assess any sources of pain or discomfort. If you can’t get up, hit your head, or feel like you may have broken a bone, call 911.

Get up slowly and safely. If you can get up, do it slowly to avoid falling yet again.

With a few simple precautions, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling and safely navigate winter's slippery challenges.

 

Dr. Lisa J. Downing-Forget, MD, MPH practices Geriatric Primary Care at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

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COVID-19 Vaccine for Those Pregnant or Nursing

Here are the facts you need to know to make a good decision about whether or not to recieve the COVID-19 vaccine: 

  • During the COVID-19 pandemic we found out that pregnant women with COVID-19 disease are more likely to get a very severe infection.  According to the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, they are three times more likely to have to go to an intensive care unit, two to three times more likely to need advanced life support and a breathing tube, and sadly, they have a small increased risk of death due to COVID-19. They may have worse pregnancy outcomes, such as pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and preterm birth. It is difficult to know yet whether COVID infection causes these outcomes or whether they happened at the same time by chance.
  • Similarly, COVID-19 can cause chronic inflammation, which could decrease fertility in both men and women.
  • The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has provided Emergency Use Authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine. It is recommended for everyone over the age of 16 who has not had an allergic reaction to the ingredients in the vaccine. Research has shown that the COVID-19 vaccine is 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 as soon as 28 days after the booster vaccine. These agencies directed all their effort to this work, day and night, which is how the vaccine was approved for use so quickly. No steps were skipped. 
  • It is not possible to get COVID infection from the vaccine. The virus is not in the vaccine.  It is like the flu shot, which exposes the body to something that looks like the part of the virus, so our bodies do the natural process of making antibodies to protect against disease. 
  • Many people have minor side effects, like tiredness, fever, muscle pain, headache, and pain where the shot was given. They could last a few days.  A few people feel very unwell. Having symptoms is a sign that the vaccine is working, and antibodies are being made.
  • Pregnant women were not allowed to be part of the research, which is very common for medical research trials. There were no reports of negative outcomes among the trial participants who became pregnant during the trial.
  • The vaccine does use a new technology called mRNA.  Two shots are required 3 weeks apart. Scientists believe that the mRNA can’t get into the placenta or the breast milk. The same kind of technology made vaccine against Ebola disease.  It has been given to pregnant and breastfeeding women.  No problems for mom or baby were found from this vaccine.
  • The vaccine does not cause birth defects or infertility. While the spike proteins on the virus and those found on the cells of the placenta are similar, they do not share enough amino acid sequences for the immune system to become confused.
  • The vaccine should also be offered to those who are breastfeeding/lactating. Like pregnant individuals, those who were breastfeeding were not included in the clinical trials for the vaccine. According to the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, the benefits of vaccination outweigh the very small safety concerns, and you do not have to stop breastfeeding because you get the vaccine.

Experts trusted by your providers recommend strongly that pregnant women be encouraged to get the vaccine.  We can’t tell you whether to get the shot, but we trust that you will make the right decision for you and your baby. Here are some points to consider as you decide:

  • How many people are getting sick with COVID-19 in your community?
  • What is your personal risk of getting COVID-19 based on your job or other exposures?
  • What is your risk of getting very sick with COVID-19, and what is the possible harm to your baby? What other medical conditions could increase this risk? Diabetes, being overweight, having lung, kidney, heart or immune illnesses or taking medicine that depresses immune function ( like chemotherapy, methotrexate, prednisone). 
  • Consider how well the vaccine is reported to work. These vaccines work exceedingly well!
  • What are the risks to other people in your household if you get sick, especially if you are living with people at risk for serious illness, like the elderly.
  • How do you feel about the lack of scientific evidence about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness for pregnant women?
  • How do you feel you would manage the reported side effects of the vaccine?

If you do get the vaccine:

  • Pregnant women who experience fever, either as a result of COVID-19 infector or following vaccination, should take acetaminophen (Tylenol) to treat fever, since a very high fever can harm a baby. A fever is far more likely as a result of COVID-19 infection than it is from vaccination.
  • Your health professional will give you information about enrolling in the V-Safe After Vaccination Health Checker. You can provide feedback on how the vaccine experience went for up to a week following your vaccination and get help with any concerns that may arise.

If you have questions, please ask your OB/GYN.

Whatever you choose, be sure to continue with the important prevention steps like avoiding visits with those outside your household, masking and distancing when in public, and washing your hands frequently.

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