Falls are the leading cause of injury or death for Americans over the age of 65.
Richard Simmons, a man who soared to fame thanks to his fitness routines, died one day after reportedly suffering a fall.
Simmons reportedly was not feeling well on Friday and thought he had food poisoning. At some point, he felt dizzy and fell in the bathroom.
Simmons' housekeeper reportedly tried to take him to a doctor after he fell in the bathroom at his home in Los Angeles. Simmons refused because it was his 76th birthday and he did not want to be away from home. According to published reports, he went to bed early.
The next day, Simmons' housekeeper found him dead.
Neurologist Leah Croll says falls should not be taken lightly.
"Sometimes people fall out of the blue or out of nowhere and that can be a problem related to the heart," Croll tells Inside Edition.
Simmons' publicist tells Inside Edition he had not seen his doctor in six years and he had suffered a heart incident.
"If you're talking about what you can do to maintain your health to prevent bad things from happening to you and your body and your brain, then absolutely staying on top of your annual check-ups is a big part of your action plan," Croll says.
If someone falls on a hard surface such as a bathroom floor, experts say you should check for signs of injury.
"After you've hit your head, you wanna check yourself or ask people around you if they notice certain things like a loss of consciousness, slurred speech, confusion, memory problems, difficulties walking, weakness," Croll says.
Every year there are nearly 47,000 fall-related deaths in the United States.
Simmons lived his final years as a recluse, with only his housekeeper as his companion.
At the time of his death he was making plans for a comeback. Two days before his death, he told People magazine, "I've written 14 songs for a Broadway show. The whole show is about my life. I'm grateful I get to live another day."
