It's a fact of life: people checking into the hospital face risks. Expecting to get better, some actually wind up getting worse.

While you might feel out of control when you go into the hospital, you're really not.

So what can you do to cut your risks? Here's a list of the six top hospital risks and - more importantly - what you can do to avoid them.

Hospital Risk No. 1: Medication Errors

Far and away, the most serious hospital risk is a medication error. A 2006 report from the Institute of Medicine estimated that every year, there are 450,000 injuries resulting from medication errors in hospitals, and perhaps many more that are unreported. But there are things you can do to reduce this hospital risk. Before surgery, you need to make sure that your doctor, your surgeon, and everyone else involved in your care know about every single medicine - whether prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal supplement - that you use. To make it easier, you can just stick all of your medicines in a bag and bring them to the hospital.

Then, after surgery, ask questions. When a nurse comes to give you medicine, ask what it is and why you need it. Make sure the nurse checks the orders against the name on the prescription.

Hospital Risk No. 2: MRSA and Other Hospital-Acquired Infections

Another top hospital risk is infection with bacteria or a virus. Hospitals are loaded with nasty bugs. According to the CDC, there are 1.7 million health-care-associated infections every year; 22per cent are infections of surgical wounds. Even more - 32per cent - are urinary tract infections. The rest are infections of the lungs, blood, and other parts of the body.

One of the most frightening hospital infections you can pick up is MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) - a type of staph infection that's resistant to many antibiotics.

So what can you do? First, ask whether you'll be getting antibiotics before and after surgery to lower your risk. Then after surgery, the best protection is simple: don't let people touch you until you have seen them wash their hands. That goes for everyone - including doctors and nurses.

Hospital Risk No. 3: Pneumonia

Although some might think of pneumonia as a minor complication, it can be quite serious. After urinary tract infections and wound infections, it's the most common hospital acquired infection. Estimates of hospital pneumonia's mortality rate are as high as 33per cent. It's most common in people who are in the intensive care unit or on ventilators.

So what are some ways to avoid this hospital risk? Deep breathing is one. Quitting smoking or at least stop for a week or two before surgery. Just a short break can make a big difference in the health of your lungs.

Aspiration pneumonia has a more specific cause. It develops when you breathe in fluids, like vomit. This can happen after anesthesia because your normal coughing reflexes may be suppressed. The best way to avoid this type of pneumonia is to follow your doctor's advice about not eating or drinking after midnight the day before your surgery. If you don't have anything in your stomach to vomit up, the danger of aspiration pneumonia is quite low.

Hospital Risk No. 4: Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

DVT - or deep vein thrombosis - is the development of a blood clot, typically deep in the veins of the leg. If the clot breaks free and travels through the bloodstream, it can get lodged in the arteries of the lungs, cutting off the blood's supply of oxygen. This complication, called a pulmonary embolism, can be fatal.

Surgery significantly increases your risks of DVT for several reasons. If you're immobile in bed, your circulation gets worse. That makes the blood more likely to pool and clot in your legs. Also the blood vessels in your legs can become very "relaxed" during the anesthesia used for surgery and the blood can slow down its movement enough to form a clot, especially if the vessel has had prior damage (for example, by way of a previous history of a broken leg) . The trauma of surgery itself also increases the blood's clotting tendency.

Without preventative treatment, the odds of getting DVT after a prolonged major surgery are 25per cent. For some surgeries, like joint replacement, the odds of DVT are more than 50per cent.

Fortunately, careful use of blood thinners can slash the risk of DVT without increasing your risk of bleeding. But as effective and safe as this preventative treatment is, studies have shown that these precautions are often ignored. So you should always ask about it.

Hospital Risk No. 5: Bleeding After Surgery

While clotting is a risk for DVT, uncontrolled bleeding after surgery causes problems of its own. However bleeding after surgery is not as much of a problem as it once was due to better surgical techniques.

You should also make certain that your doctor knows every medication - vitamins, supplements, or homeopathic medication - that you use. Common medicines - like the painkillers aspirin and ibuprofen - can thin your blood, increasing the risk of bleeding. Your doctor will probably tell you to stop taking any medicine that might have this effect a week or two before surgery.

Also mention if you've ever had excessive bleeding before, even for something minor, like the removal of wisdom teeth. The biggest predictor of serious bleeding after surgery is having bled after surgery before.

Hospital Risk No. 6: Anesthesia Complications

While many patients still worry about anesthesia, experts say that it's really quite safe these days. But while the risk of problems is now low, there are still precautions you should take. First, ask to meet with your anesthesiology team to discuss your options. Some only need a local or regional anesthetic, while others will need full general anesthetic. Go over the benefits and risks of each one.

Although rare, some people have allergies to certain anesthetics. Rare genetic conditions can also trigger anesthesia complications.

Speaking Up lowers hospital risks .But you should never give up responsibility for your own health. The advice from all the experts is to pay attention and ask questions. So to lower your hospital risks, you have to be an active and involved patient. Not only will it give you a feeling of control over your situation, but it may even improve your care.

(Dr Amit Varma is Chief Operating Officer and Director Critical Care Medicine at Fortis Flt Lt Rajan Dhall Hospital in Delhi)