How Can You Spot Eye Injuries in Your Aging Adult?

If you even suspect that your senior has injured her eye, make an appointment right away with her doctor or eye doctor in order to get to the bottom of the issue. In honor of Eye Injury Prevention Month, it’s crucial to learn how to spot eye injuries in your elderly family member.

Redness or Swelling of the Eye

Redness might occur around the eye, particularly if your elderly family member experiences a blow to the face or if she falls. But some injuries cause redness of the sclera, or the white portion, of your senior’s eyeball. Swelling of the area around the eye or the eye itself is definitely also a sign of potential injury.

Pain in or Around the Eye

Some injuries might not be so visible, though. If your elderly family member is reporting pain in or around her eye, that could be a sign something has happened. Your senior might also mention that her eye has a burning or scratchy feeling. These can be other indications of injury, even if they’re not the type of symptom you’d normally associate with pain.

Blurry Vision

Damage to the eye almost always means that there’s some impact to your senior’s vision as well. Look for indications that her vision might be blurry or that it’s difficult for her to see well or at all. She might be taking more care than usual when she’s walking, for instance, or you might notice that she’s not reading or engaging in other activities that require vision.

Tearing that Won’t Stop

It’s not just pain, redness, and swelling that you need to watch out for, though. Some eye injuries can cause your senior’s eye to respond by tearing up. This is the eye’s attempt to flush out irritants or anything else that might be bothering it. If there’s any potential infection, you might notice discharge along with the tears.

Light Sensitivity

Your elderly family member might become more sensitive to light if she’s experiencing an eye injury. This can happen because her eye is simply not able to function as it normally would or because her vision is damaged. It’s a good idea to wear sunglasses if she feels that helps a little bit.

Preventing eye injuries is always better than dealing with the aftermath, of course. For an aging adult, this might mean focusing more on safety than you ever have before. Working with senior care providers can help you to spot potential safety issues and keep your aging adult as safe as possible.

If you are considering senior care in Wallingford, CT for your aging parent, please contact the caring staff at Franciscan Ever There Care. Call today 203-630-2881.