Blog > Senior Care – Is Your Parent Suffering from Dry Eye Disease?

Senior Care - Is Your Parent Suffering from Dry Eye Disease?

Seniors & Health Issues: It is not uncommon for individuals over the age of 60 to suffer from dry eye disease.

Dry eye disease occurs when a person’s eyes are no longer able to produce enough lubrication for their eyes. It can range from the inability to create any tears to the eyes producing low-quality tears.

If your parent has been complaining about dry, itchy eyes, especially in environments with air conditioning or forced heat, or while looking at a computer screen for a long period of time, you might want to have him evaluated to see if he is suffering from dry eye disease and if could benefit from some of the treatments out there.

Seniors & Health Issues: Symptoms for dry eye disease include:

-Sensitivity to light

If you or your elder care provider have noticed your parent seems very sensitive to bright light, such as when you turn on the lights in a dark room, or head outside for the first time, it could mean his eyes are struggling to produce the tears needed as he squints.

-Eye redness

This can be around the eye (the eyelids and sensitive skin under the eye) as his skin is irritated.

-A stinging, burning, or scratchy sensation in the eyes

Ask your parent if he notices any of these sensations in his eyes and if he does, is there a specific time of day it occurs more often?

-A sensation of having something in his eyes

If your parent is repeatedly asking you or his elder care provider to look into his eyes to see if there is a hair or piece of link in his eyes but there’s nothing there, he might be having the false sensation that something is in his eyes because of the lack of tears he’s able to produce.

-Stringy mucus in or around the eyes

If your parent seems to be wiping his eyes and pulling out mucus a lot, it could be a symptom of dry eye disease.

Watery eyes, which is the body’s response to the irritation of dry eyes

This seems contradictory, but your parent’s eyes may become watery as his body responds to what it believes are dry eyes.

Blurred vision or eye fatigue

Eyes that don’t receive enough lubrication can get tired much more easily and that can also cause blurred vision. If your parent is closing and resting his eyes often, he might be struggling with this symptom of dry eye disease.

Difficulty wearing contact lenses

Contact lenses need eye lubrication to stay comfortable. If your parent has stopped wearing his contacts and switched back to his glasses, ask him why he’s made the change to see if it has to do with his eyes being too dry for contacts.

Difficulty with nighttime driving

While this is common in many elderly, dry eyes will make nighttime driving even more difficult.

Seniors & Health Issues: If your parent’s dry eye disease isn’t too serious, it’ll be easily managed with prescription eye drops and good care of his eyes. If it’s progressed to a more serious case, the doctors will offer a variety of treatments and possible surgery to correct this problem so your parent can see again without discomfort.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering hiring a Senior Care in Westminster, CO, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home today at 303-255-4071.

Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/