Spring hazards: How to protect yourself from dangerous falls

The University of Kentucky Public Relations & Strategic Communications Office provides a weekly health column available for use and reprint by news media. This week’s column is by Roy Tapp, Ph.D., Coordinator for Kentucky Safe Aging Coalition at the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, which is based at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 6, 2026) — As the weather warms and spring draws people back outside, the risk of a fall often comes from hazards we don’t think twice about — uneven sidewalks, loose gravel, wet decks, garden hoses stretched across the yard or slick patches left behind after a spring rain. After a fall, it’s common to picture visible injuries like broken arms, hips or legs, along with bruises and cuts.

For example, a 67-year-old grandfather steps outside to enjoy the sunshine, catches his foot on a raised section of the sidewalk, and falls — fracturing his arm, breaking ribs and injuring his ankle. Or, a 90-year-old grandmother slips on a damp garage floor while tidying up for the season and suffers a serious head injury.

These moments happen quickly, often triggered by something small — a raised edge of concrete or a slick patch on the floor — but the consequences can be life-changing. What may seem like a minor misstep can lead to serious injury, especially for older adults.

Across Kentucky, these incidents are far from rare. In 2024, the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center documented 57,132 unintentional fall-related emergency department visits, along with 9,728 fall-related inpatient hospitalizations and 415 fall-related deaths among residents aged 65 and older. It’s no surprise, then, that concern is high — 71% of Kentuckians report that avoiding a fall, whether from an accident or loss of balance, is both a current and future worry.

Beyond environmental hazards, there is also a less visible factor that increases the risk of serious injury from falls: osteoporosis. Often called a “silent disease,” osteoporosis weakens bones over time without obvious symptoms, making fractures more likely when a fall does occur. According to the National Council on Aging, women are four times more likely than men to be affected, particularly after menopause as bone density naturally declines. Other risk factors can also play a role:

• Alcohol use or smoking: Excess alcohol can increase your risk, and smoking may prevent your body from properly using dietary calcium.
• Lack of exercise: A sedentary lifestyle, or not getting the right types of exercise, can impact strength, balance and overall bone health.
• Medical conditions: Conditions such as celiac disease, thyroid disorders or past procedures like gastrectomy or weight loss surgery may increase your risk.
• Medications: Certain medications, including aluminum-containing antacids, hormone treatments for breast or prostate cancer and steroids, may raise osteoporosis risk.
• Nutritional deficiencies: Not getting enough calcium and vitamin D can limit your body’s ability to build and maintain strong bones.
• Family history: A history of osteoporosis or fractures in close family members can increase your risk.
• Body weight and frame: Individuals with smaller, thinner frames may be at greater risk due to having less bone mass. 

There are steps you can take to help lower your risk of osteoporosis:

• Talk with your physician: Before making changes to your diet or exercise routine, consult your doctor. You may also want to discuss a bone density test, such as a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan.
• Watch for warning signs: Lower back pain, loss of height, changes in posture or shortness of breath should be discussed with your physician.
• Practice fall prevention: Use assistive devices if needed (canes or walkers), wear flat shoes with nonslip soles, keep floors free of clutter, and consider adding grab bars, night lights and stair railings to improve safety.