Credits: Social Media
Tears in the eye during death isn’t an emotional response, says hospice nurse
A person on the deathbed can experience a myriad of things, including teary eyes. A hospice nurse explains the reason for it, which has nothing to do with emotions.
Julie McFadden has made it her mission to actively talk about death and the end-of-life process to eliminate the fear associated with the natural phenomenon. It’s devastating to watch our loved one shed tears while taking their last breath, but knowing relevant facts can bring you some peace.
The reason our eyes water at the end of life
People’s appearance changes in the last stages of life for different reasons. As the bodily functions start to shut down, the face, skin, and several other features look different, often considered “scary.”
One of the most common occurrences during death is teary eyes, which isn’t an emotional reaction. Julie explains in detail the physiological reasons driving it.
The nurse clarifies that it isn’t caused by any emotion as she gets often asked by her patients’ families about tears in their loved one’s eyes, which they associate with pain and discomfort.
“Tears at the end of life is a biological process of dying and it’s usually to protect the eyes because they aren’t blinking like they normally do,” she says in her recent YouTube video.
Tears naturally gather in the eyes to act as a protective layer when the eyelids stop functioning and roll down the cheek. The eyes undergo more changes during death.
The color may change due to the natural process of corneal opacity, causing “cloudiness or haziness around the eyes” from lack of blood flow to the eyes.
The eyes can also remain fully or particularly open during death as the muscles around the body and face relax. “This is only natural,” assured the nurse.
More biological changes
More common biological changes in the human body in the final stages of life include an open mouth or a dangling tongue due to the relaxation of muscles.
You can also notice changes in the skin color – yellow, extra pale, or even purple – because of circulatory changes in the body in the active dying phase.
Meanwhile, people who spend a lot of time in the hospital before death can look swollen due to the fluids administered to them. Julie explains more changes that occur during death in detail in her video.
She encourages people to educate themselves about the deathbed phenomena, so they don’t confuse the natural process with suffering while losing their family or friends.
Julie McFadden is a certified RN/BSN and author featured in several leading media outlets including Newsweek, New York Post, People, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and Daily Mail. Her YouTube channel boasts over 420,000 subscribers.
