From walking on wet leaves to cleaning gutters, 4 fall hazards and how to stay safe

Fall is known for changing leaves and picking apples, but between navigating wet leaves and climbing ladders, cleaning gutters or putting up holiday decorations, it’s also a bad scenario for slips and falls.

While the risk of falls increases with age – and the consequences can be much more serious – doctors emphasize that injuries from falls can happen to anyone, which is why it’s important for everyone to be aware of the dangers.

Yahoo Life visited three emergency room doctors to identify the biggest fall hazards this time of year and how to avoid them.

First: Why are falls dangerous?

While a fall is possible without serious consequences, falls can result in serious injuries, says Dr. Daniel Bachmann, an emergency physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Yahoo Life.

“The severity depends on many factors, including your age and mobility, where you fall and the height from which you fall,” says Bachmann. Most of the fall injuries he sees in the emergency room are bruises and cuts. “But there are bone injuries, including fractures and dislocations, but also sprains,” he says. “If you hit your head, you can also get a head injury.”

Falls are particularly dangerous for older adults, says Dr. Michael Levine, an emergency physician at UCLA Health, told Yahoo Life. “When older patients fall, they sometimes break their hip, and this can lead to a significant decline in quality of life and sometimes a shortening of life expectancy,” he says. “Of course there is a risk of bleeding in or around the brain, which can be fatal if someone hits their head while falling.”

The greatest risks of falling in autumn

Certain activities during this time of year pose a higher risk of slips and falls. These are some of the biggest problems that doctors should be wary of:

Navigating through wet leaves

This fall foliage can accumulate and become wet, creating a slippery surface that is prone to slips and falls. “If you are able, do not walk on wet leaves,” says Bachmann. “The best way to avoid injury from wet leaves or really treacherous surfaces is to avoid the surface itself.”

If leaves have accumulated in an area that you have to walk over regularly, such as your driveway or the sidewalk in front of your house, Bachmann recommends doing your best to clean it often. However, if leaves are in your way and you can’t avoid them, Bachmann recommends taking your time and understanding that walking on slippery surfaces comes with risks.

Clean gutters

It’s no surprise that there’s a risk of falling when cleaning gutters, which typically require climbing a ladder. “You shouldn’t do this alone if you can help it,” says Dr. Anjali Bharati, an emergency physician at Lenox Health Greenwich Village, told Yahoo Life. “The gutters around a roof are very high and usually require access via a ladder.”

Standing on a ladder increases the risk of falling from a greater height – and that increases the likelihood of serious injury, says Bachmann. “Every time you fall from a height greater than standing, the force exerted on your body as it hits the ground increases,” he says.

Putting up Christmas decorations

Fall is the season for two major holidays – Halloween and Thanksgiving – and many people also start putting up their winter holiday decorations in the fall. However, many of these decorating jobs often involve the use of a ladder, which can be risky.

“People often find themselves in a situation in which their stability is at risk,” says Bachmann. “This could mean being in an unstable position on a ladder.” It’s easy to see that you might also want to try to grab something that’s just out of reach on a ladder, or try to to move the ladder as far as possible, which puts you in more precarious situations. “But instability is the biggest risk factor for falls,” says Bachmann.

Walking in dim lighting

The sun sets earlier in the fall, especially when daylight saving time ends in November. That means more people are walking around outside in twilight or darkness, which increases the risk of falling, says Bachmann.

“Your stability is really a combination of factors,” he says, citing balance, vision and mobility as key elements. “But when we talk about the risk of running in the dark, one of these three things is at risk,” says Bachmann. Walking the dog in the evening adds a level of instability, he says.

How to reduce your risk of falling in the fall

Managing these potential dangers at this time of year is all about risk management, says Bharati. “You need to be aware of the ground surface and your surroundings in general,” she says.

If you have to climb a ladder, Bharati recommends making sure it’s on a flat surface and doing your best not to reach anything that’s out of reach, be it a few overlooked leaves in your gutter or a crooked Christmas decorations. Instead, place the ladder where you need it.

Bachmann recommends slowing down. “Often the injuries we see associated with falls are due to people rushing or trying to take shortcuts to get something done,” he says.

If you must run in dim or dark light, Bachmann recommends bringing a flashlight. “If possible, walk down the street where the lighting is better,” he says. Wearing well-fitting shoes with soles with good traction can also help, according to Levine.

Bharati recommends having someone else clean your gutters if you can afford it. “Leave it to the professionals,” she says. “It’s not worth the risk.”