I fell last winter and broke my nose. I had two shiners that last for about 12 days. My mom fell in her NH bathroom and hit her forehead. Two days later, she looked like she's gone 5 rounds with Muhammad Ali AND Joe Frazier.
I agree that it could happen; it's happened to my mother at least twice that I can remember off-hand. However, I'd be surprised if there were not other bruises as well, such as on the elbows or knees or whatever other body part(s) hit the floor as well. If the bruised eye is the only bruise, I'd be a bit suspicious.
In any event, I'd seriously consider a dr visit to check that eye. Broken bones in the eye socket can occur and can cause issues with vision. Also, my mother actually tore a retina one time when she fell on her face. She needed a lot of follow-up treatment (mostly with a laser) to tack the retina back in place.
For myself, if I try to lift something that is too heavy or awkward, a few hours later I will notice one eye the white in the eye has turned dark red... scary looking, but it goes away in a couple of days. And here my eye wasn't touched by anything.
My mom once got a black eye from falling. But, L, on cumadin, got a black eye, a bad one, just from rubbing it wrong. These old folks bruise very easily.
I don't take a blood thinner other than a small aspirin, but I'm apparently at the age where we start bruising easily. I have a small round bruise on my chest. It looks a lot like a spot that sometimes forms after an insulin shot, but it is definitely not where I'd give myself a shot. So what could have poked me in the chest hard enough to leave a bruise but that I was totally not aware of?
Ah, the mysteries of old age! Helps prevent boredom, I guess.
My husband fell repeatedly early in his dementia. He was on a blood thinner. He constantly looked like an abuse victim! He was so glad to get a wheelchair and minimize the fall risk!
She may have hit her eyebrow, or her head above that eye. Blood tends to pool, and then drain downward, so it certainly seems possible. Also, many older folks, and younger ones as well, take a baby aspirin, to help to prevent heart attacks and strokes, so their blood is thinner, and bruising is more likely to happen. Hope she heals up soon!
Gladimhere brings up a good point - with most of these older folks being on blood thinners, all it takes is a small little bump and they're badly bruised. So a fall, even if she didn't hit her face, could still cause bruising in areas you wouldn't expect.
In any event, I'd seriously consider a dr visit to check that eye. Broken bones in the eye socket can occur and can cause issues with vision. Also, my mother actually tore a retina one time when she fell on her face. She needed a lot of follow-up treatment (mostly with a laser) to tack the retina back in place.
Ah, the mysteries of old age! Helps prevent boredom, I guess.
My husband fell repeatedly early in his dementia. He was on a blood thinner. He constantly looked like an abuse victim! He was so glad to get a wheelchair and minimize the fall risk!
Does your brother have any impairments? Sleep disorders?
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