No, this blog isn’t about that dream of falling off a cliff that many people (including me) occasionally have. Nor is it about the bestseller that was so popular when we were younger, Fear of Flying by Erica Jong, although this blog does have to do with traveling. My recent traveling, to be exact.

You know that gap between the inside and the platform that looms before you as you get on or off the train? I’m terrified of it. Absolutely terrified. In fact, I can be cool and calm and relaxed as I walk toward the train, and then get panic-stricken the moment I see that gap.

Why? I’m afraid of falling. 

Now you might think that this is because I don’t want to end up under the train tracks, which would be understandable (but impossible since I am much wider in both directions than the gap). Or, if you saw the episode called “Subway” in December 1997  on that wonderful TV series Homicide: Life on the Streets, you might also think you understand why I’m afraid of the gap. In this episode, a man gets wedged between the train and the concrete wall, either by accident or after having been pushed (which is why the detectives are called in) and his death is certain.

But it’s not just the gap I am afraid of falling into. I’m frightened by falling down even two steps. I’m afraid of tripping on a flat surface and falling. Now you might wonder why: is it because I don’t want to dirty my clothes or skin my knee as I did when I used to rollerskate? Or because I’m self-conscious and don’t want to appear clumsy and stupid?

Actually it’s none of those reasons. I’m frightened because of all the patients, friends and loved ones I’ve seen suffer the consequences of a “simple” fall. Bruises that don’t heal but go on to cause the skin overlying them to slough off and become infected; fractures of bones in the arms, legs, pelvis, and even face; damage to the eyes; even strained muscles that cause one to be bedridden, which then leads to clots in the leg veins that go to the lungs. All of these things can occur after a “simple” fall, and do. It turns out that falls are not simple at all.

Researchers from The Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at data from emergency rooms and from death certificates and found that: falls are the most common cause of hip fractures;  in 2003 alone, nearly 14,000 people over the age of 65 died as a result of falling; falls are the leading cause of death from injuries in people in this age group (that’s some of us); and that about 20% of falls result in serious injuries that can result in serious disability.

So, you can now see why I am so afraid of falls.You should be too. And, you should help to raise awareness about this usually-preventable health risk. We discuss recommendations to help prevent falls in our book. In addition,the CDC has put out brochures about how to prevent falls, especially in us older people. For more information, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/index.html