Injuries suffered on stairs are on the increase, and research published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine says the more than one million Americans who will be injured in stair related slips and falls this year cover all age groups, not just the elderly, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Dr. Alan Hibberd of the San Antonio Orthopaedic Group says there are many reasons for this. One is the fact that stairs are no longer a standard height and depth, especially with more activity being conducted outside.
"Sometimes the problem is, sometimes the risers are different, and the elevation of the steps may be different in inside stairs and outside," he said. "The tread may be wider or longer."
The researchers analyzed date from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System on injuries that were treated in emergency departments.
Dr. Hibberd says the larger homes which have been built in the U.S. over the past two decades are also more likely to include steps in them, and now half of all homes in the country include stairs.
The costs of non fatal stair injuries, according to the research, tops $92 billion annually.
Dr. Hibberd says, interestingly, one factor that contributes to the increase in stair related injuries is the new popularity of progressive lens glasses.
"When you have progressive lenses and you tip your head down to look at the stairs, it may throw your balance off, exactly where you think that step is."
But Dr. Hibbard says it is elderly people who have a tendency to suffer the most stair falls, and be injured the most by those falls.
"Especially if its an older person and they're at the top of the stairs, that is just the beginning of the process," he said. "The ankle twists and down they go, tumbling down the stairs, and there are fractures of the spine, shoulder fractures, wrist fractures when they put out their hand to try to break their fall."
Dr. Hibbard says there are several steps that homeowners should take to make sure they don't join the growing ranks of stair casualties.
He says make sure stairs are well lighted, and never 'store' items 'which need to be taken upstairs' by placing them on the stairs.
He says often, the 'stairnose' part of the tread is missing, especially on the top step is missing, which causes problems.
He says everybody, people of all ages, should take care when carrying objects and children down stairs, and stairs should be cleaned of toys and other items which may be left on stairs.