Dry Eyes After Brain Injury
COMMON dry eye treatments
A common secondary problem after a brain injury can be dry eyes. It causes a burning, sandy, and/or gritty feeling, as well as blurred vision and chronic redness. It is usually more severe if the patient is over age 50, using multiple medications that can reduce tears and/or had a direct trauma to the eye and eyelids.
Checklist: Dry Eyes after Brain Injury
- Eyes feeling gritty or sandy especially in the morning.
- Eyes are chronically red, burn or sometimes have excessive tears.
- Vision seems blurry until blinking or using artificial tears.
- Eyes do not close well at night.
- Blinking is reduced, slow and/or infrequent.
- Eyelids only partial close with a blink.
- Eyelids seem out of position since the TBI.
- Patient stares without blinking much.