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My mom has been diagnosed with dementia and every once in a while she claims she cannot see at all and that her eyes will not open. However, her eyes are open but she still claims she can't see. Other times she claims her glasses are not good and she can't see out of them. Is this possible?

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Casey1150: Yes dementia can affect eye sight.
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This could be an eye issue so she needs to have her eyes checked, but there is also the processing factor. Problems seeing things properly is very common with AD because the brain doesn't process what the eyes see. Her brain may not process that her eyes are open or she may not be able to describe what she perceives. Either way, medical attention is a good idea.

We'd love an update if you have time.
Carol
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Casey1115,
I'm not sure if you have found an answer yet, but in reading your posts, I thought about a condition that I have read about that causes distinct issues with the eyes. In some people, they have trouble opening and closing their eyes and there are substantial vision issues. It might be worth looking into it. It is fairly rare. It's called PSP, stands for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Also known as Nuchal dystonia dementia. Of course, it could be any number of things, but I thought of it when I saw your mom's symptoms. I hope you are able to figure it out and get her some relief. I will PM you a link for it.
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Yeah, it does affect eye sight :(
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Dementia can affect the eye sight. However, it is more likely to affect the perception the brain is seeing. An example, which comes to mind, is when those suffering from Alzheimer's Disease cannot understand the concept of water. They are said not not being able to see the water. I suggest you consider the sight of water. It is more a concept than anything else. Another example, is the situation when a person is further along in dementia and the concept of a dark line on the floor, they do not want to step over it. This creates a situation where there is a carpet with a border across a doorway and the person will not want to go in the room or get on an elevator.

There are many illnesses of the brain which can complicate our ability to see things and associate them with our knowledge. This includes Alzheimer's,Lowey Body, TIA's and cardiac events. Anything that has an affect on blood flow or oxygen can induce an reduction of vision.
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Dementia can affect the eyes, but the opposite is also true. Mom's doctor said that because she can't see things as she should, her brain interprets things differently. She claims that someone put in a different thermostat in her apartment. Also that they installed new panels in the elevator, and many other things, which are exactly the same as they have always been, but because she sees them differently, she swears they have been actually changed. For a while she swore that she saw people in her apartment, but that eventually stopped. He told me the name for this, but unfortunately I've forgotten. At the time I researched it on the internet, and it was helpful. Dealing with dementia has been an education for me.
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Has she been checked for wet or dry macular degeneration?
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My husband has dementia and complains about his eyes alot. Not being able to see. We are going to work in a eye doctor soon. He has multiple doctors and appointments all the time. ( but I do not ) He takes up all of my time~!!!
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My Mom had cataract surgery. When she complained about her glasses needing changing, I took her to the doctor. He said her eyes will never change nor will her glasses. It has to do with the Dementia. She has lost her vision on the sides and depth perception.
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I have not had the experience of Alzheimer's disease affecting sight either with my mother or my spouse, or among the scores of caregivers' loved ones I counsel through the Alzheimer's Association.
However, I woke up one night last summer with such a pain in my eye I thought I was bursting a blood vessel and was going to die! I could not open my eyes. I lay there panicking for a while, then the pain subsided a bit and I was able to maneuver myself into the bathroom, where I reached for the bottle of Tylenol.
I had to turn on a night light and open one eye to see to open the bottle, which is so safe children figure it out faster than seniors!
I fell back asleep for a few hours and by 7am I phoned my eye doctor, expecting an answer machine. It was Saturday morning. To my amazement, the doctor answered the phone. He reassured me I wasn't dying, told me to take 2 Ibuprofen, rest and call him in 2 hours. I did and the pain began to subside, from 10 to 8, to a 6. He advised me to take 2 more Tylenol and to rest and call in 4 hours. The pain subsided as he also told me to use warm compresses, 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off.
When I saw him in the office on Monday, he told me I had dry eye syndrome and prescribed Restasis. When I asked for a written prescription, he said, not to worry, his nurse would call it in to the pharmacy.
I am telling this long story for a reason. The pharmacy wanted $330. Copay for a 3 month supply!!! I refused and called my insurance company. By waiting a week for mail delivery, I pay only $80. For a 3 month supply now. I put one drop in each eye and I have no more pain.
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Interesting and timely question for me as my father, who has dementia, had cataract surgery last September and I am still swapping out glasses prescriptions. Before the most recent prescription we got at Christmas, he needed large print books to read but now he finds them difficult to read, even though I don't think his bi-focal changed. Seems to be able to handle newsprint. Of course, he got large-print books for Christmas! I suggested he hold them a little further away or a little closer and we make sure the lighting is good. But we will also be going back in - again - to check his prescription.
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I took my mother, who has Alzheimer's Disease, to an eye doctor. The doctor told me that when this (pointed to his head/brain) works, these (pointed to his eyes) will work, but with this (again pointed to his head/brain) is not working, these (again pointed to his eyes) will not work. This information helped me to gauge what activities Mom was able to do that day.
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My Ma has macular degeneration, so yes she is blind in one eye.. BUT was using blindness as a reason why she couldnt read. . Then one day it suddenly dawned on me that it wasnt that she couldnt see but her comprehension of the words was missing. I dropped the level of what I wrote down and did enlarge the print, and she was able to cope for a bit longer. I tried to use 4 letter words and left gaps in between, bullet point each point as such etc.Then followed up with phone calls like every 10 -15min if it was for her to heat her food., and to see that she had eaten it.
So all factors come into play, loss of vision, perception, comprehension, and memory.
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Yes, AD can affect sight. My husband died of an atypical young onset AD 10 years after diagnosis. HIs neurologist at Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation diagnosed posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) which exhibits itself as a disruption of the occipital parietal visual pathway. There is much useful information about PCA at a closed Facebook Group "posterior cortical atrophy awareness" for which membership is required in order to limit the group to people with PCA, their family, friends, colleagues & medical practitioners.
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Definitely a visit to the eye doctor would be good. My Mom has severe dementia. She no longer wears glasses, because they don't help. I know she has a hard time seeing many things. I think the real problem for her is macular degeneration where she can only use her periferal vision. Perhaps that's your Mom's problem too. Mom also has dry eye syndrome which make it feel like there's something in her eyes.
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My husband was diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimers type almost 9 years ago. Last year he complained of feeling hair in his mouth and it was affecting his eating and resting. He spent a lot of time during the day gargling and spitting out his food.
He excellent doctor examined him and told me it was a result of his Alzheimers as often they become focused on something regarding their physical bodies. He said to give it a little time, don't comment on it, and it would probably go away.

Sure enough, it was in a matter of a couple weeks or less that he ceased to say anything about it. He has never mentioned it since.

Thanks to a knowledgable doctor for not performing a bunch of unnecessary tests. He checked him out thoroughly and made a wise determination that was right on.
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Old people can get dementia and also can develop cataracts. Unrelated. Just one more set of trips to doctor. Thankfully, cataract surgery is no biggie.
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My mom seen the eye Dr Friday she said yes it does affect the eyes
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My mom said a light bulb from the chandelier over the table exploded in her eye.
She was rattled when the bulb broke, but couldn't find the words to explain due to aphasia. The aide said she is fine, but I spent Saturday afternoon with her at Urgent Care having it checked.
The Dr did a thorough exam of her eyes and told us her eye
and cornea are normal. Mom loved the attention and all the fuss
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This definitely calls for a doctor appointment, but I'd also write down her exact words and keep track of the conditions under which this happens. Alzheimer's can affect how things are interpreted. Your mother's situation sounds different, but both an eye doctor and her Alzheimer's physician should know about this so that the cause - and potential treatment if one is available - can be determined.
Please update us when you can.
Carol
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My X who I was with for 18 years suffers with Solvent Dementia(among other things) & last summer he saw it rain when the sun was out & thought it was sunny when it rained.....Look into have the eyes checked.
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IMCO I think so. Your local Alzheimer's Association can provide a list of Alzheimer's and dementia specialists in your area.
primary care physicians don't always refer patients to specialists, even when it could help clarify a diagnosis or supplement primary treatment. In these cases, it’s up to you to sort through the maze of medical professionals.

Geriatric psychiatrists specialize in the mental and emotional needs of older individuals. They conduct thorough memory, mood, sleep, and thinking evaluations, and are particularly good at assessing memory problems associated with life stress, depression, anxiety, excess drinking, or family conflicts.

General neurologists and psychiatrists perform memory evaluations, but do not specialize in Alzheimer’s
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It is good you are going in for an exam. If it isn't the eyes it may be a matter perception -- that is, how the brain takes in the signals from the eyes, rather than a physical problem with the eyes.

My husband had real problems with depth perception that came and went.
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Thank you for your response. We have taken her to a cardiologist and her heart is okay, no signs of TIAs or any other heart issues. She also had her eyes examined about 6 months ago, and nothing had changed from her previous exam. We are scheduling her for an opthamologist exam just in case. Thanks again.
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This can happen with TIA's and stroke. It can also happen with detached retinas. Ask the MD to find out which one it is.
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