Central California Alliance for Health | Living Healthy | March 2017

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Tips to prevent falls
National Kidney Month is
observed during March,
but you can take steps to
prevent kidney disease any time
of the year. Kidney disease means
that the kidneys are damaged and
cannot filter blood like they should.
This damage can cause waste to
build up in the body. It can also
cause other problems that can
harm your health. For most people,
kidney damage occurs slowly over
many years, often due to diabetes
or high blood pressure. This is
called chronic kidney disease.
Kidney disease is a growing
problem. More than 20 million
Americans may have kidney
disease, and many more are at
risk. Anyone can develop kidney
disease, regardless of age or race,
but African Americans, Hispanics
and American Indians tend to have
a greater risk for kidney failure.
This is mostly due to higher rates of
diabetes and high blood pressure in
these communities. There may be
other reasons too.
The main risk factors for
developing kidney disease are:
■ ■ Diabetes.
■ ■ High blood pressure.
■ ■ Heart disease.
■ ■ A family history of kidney failure.
To learn more about these risk
factors, talk to your doctor about
how you can prevent kidney failure
and what you can do to keep
your kidneys healthy. Schedule
an appointment today to get your
kidneys tested for kidney disease.
For more information,
visit niddk.nih.gov/
health-information/kidney-
disease.
March is National Kidney Month
As we get older, physical
changes, health conditions,
and sometimes the
medications used to treat those
conditions make falls more likely to
occur. But they are avoidable, and
there are simple steps you can take
to prevent falls.
Things you can do
to prevent falls:
■ ■ Exercise to improve balance and
strength. A good exercise to try is
yoga.
■ ■ Speak up. Talk with your family
and/or Primary Care Provider
(PCP) if you have fallen or are
feeling unsteady.
■ ■ Review your medicine. Have the
doctor or pharmacist go over all
the medicine that you are taking.
As you get older, the way medicine
works in your body can change
and may make falling more likely.
Let the PCP know if you are having
side effects.
■ ■ Have your vision checked. Poor
vision can increase your chances of
falling and can be corrected.
■ ■ Wear sensible shoes. Consider
changing your footwear as part
of your fall-prevention plan. High
heels, floppy slippers and shoes
with slick soles can make you
slip, stumble and fall.
■ ■ Remove home hazards. Most
falls happen at home, so remove
small rugs; keep your floors clutter-
free; and make sure your home has
lots of light.
■ ■ Use assistive devices. Add grab
bars in the bathroom, and have
handrails and lights installed on all
staircases.
For more information,
visit cdc.gov/steadi and
stopfalls.org/what-is-fall
-prevention/fp-basics.
member health
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