Drop attacks, commonly experienced by older people, involve a sudden feeling of legs giving out and falling to the floor. They are not a medical condition, but a symptom of various medical problems. Diagnosis requires real-time monitoring, and treatment varies depending on the cause. The main risk is injury from falling, particularly in older people with osteoporosis.
Fall attacks are a type of fall most commonly experienced by older people. In a drop attack, also called a drop attack, the person feels as if their legs have given out of their own accord and they fall to the floor. Drop attacks do not involve a loss of consciousness and are different from fainting attacks and the type of seizures that characterize epilepsy.
Drop attacks can occur in susceptible individuals at any time while moving or standing still and are not always preceded by physical exertion. Unless injured during a fall, a person experiencing a fall attack will make a full recovery within minutes of the attack. The drop attack itself is not a medical condition; instead it is a symptom of a medical condition.
Someone who begins to experience drop attack seizures will generally undergo a series of medical tests for diagnostic purposes. These include blood and urine tests, a carotid artery ultrasound to check for arterial blockages, and an electrocardiogram to determine if a heart condition may be involved. The most effective way to diagnose the cause of these attacks is real-time monitoring, so heart and brain events can be recorded at the moment an attack occurs.
A variety of different medical problems can cause these attacks, including coronary thrombosis, cardiac arrhythmia, orthostatic hypertension, or atherosclerosis. In people experiencing drop attacks, about 12% have a heart condition, 8% have poor cerebral circulation, 8% have a combination of heart and brain problems, 7% have seizures, and 5% have inner ear disorders. More than half do not receive a definitive diagnosis.
People experiencing fall attacks are not at risk of injury or death from the attacks themselves. Fall seizures do not increase the risk of stroke. The main risk is of injury from falling, particularly in older people with osteoporosis. The brittle bones that develop as a result of osteoporosis are vulnerable to fracture injuries from even minor falls. So even if the condition causing the attacks isn’t serious, it’s still important to get treatment to prevent further attacks.
Treatment for drop attacks varies depending on the cause of the attacks. When a heart condition such as a heart arrhythmia is involved, medications or a pacemaker can treat the problem. If the attacks are caused by poor circulation in the brain, medications such as blood thinners or cholesterol-lowering drugs may be prescribed. In some cases, surgery to remove arterial plaques may be done.
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