Eyes Turn Blue Before Death

My grandma died July 3rd, 2016 at the age of 83. her eyes were in pain. straight black.. not one shade of blue.

a reply to: reldra
My friend who is an expert on Nazis once related to me that Mengele devised experiments to change eye color using stress hormones such as adrenaline. The results of which are, unfortunately, classified. But it seems likely that there is something to it, hormones are released near death.

I send you my love and good thoughts.

My grandmother died a few months ago in hospice. I cannot give insight to the changing of eye color, as she always had light colored eyes (blue/green).

However, I can empathize with that feeling of your loved one "leaving the room". for me, it was when a blank stare came over her face. The only mumblings she could push out being incoherent ramblings... Reminiscent of a language you've never heard or imagined until you're subjected to it.

Whatever this is, the slow dissipation of life here on earth, especially when witnessed of a loved one... It has some sort of beauty beyond articulation.

Of course it's sad, miserable. But when someone in pain is finally set free, no matter how much you will miss them, there is comfort in their passing.

Not sure how to end my reply other than the stereotypical "stay strong!".

But seriously, you got this. It sucks, it hurts but so is life... Chin up!

a reply to: reldra

I know a couple of people 'one close to me' who's eyes went blue upon death.

I don't know the cause, it just happens to some, I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm so very sorry for what you're going through.....I was always told your nail beds turn white and eyes lighten to blue when near death ...because of lack of oxygen . Which triggers other chemical process in your body......please go and stay at your mothers side NOW ....be with her as long as you can. .....tell her you love her now while you still can.....And let's hope the doctors can get the infection under control , and reverse the symptoms, it can happen, but you may need to be very proactive with doctors . Sending you prayers and positive healing thoughts .

Im really sorry to hear about you mum
I work in a nursing home for people with dementia and alot of elderly people eyes change colour. You see people with brown eyes turning blue.
I don't know why this happens but it is common.

a reply to: Meldionne1

Very good advice.
I cherish the fact that the last words I spoke to my mom were "I love you" and those were her last words to me.
She died young from emphysema and was not lost mentally.

a reply to: reldra

My grandfather slowly succumbed to cancer, I had the privalege of being with him the last months of his life. In the end, it was not glorious... Just a slow surrender. I am 37 years old, and if I make the transition with a loved one by my side...I will be blessed. Even more so if I make it to a ripe old age. We all exit the womb eventually, peace and hope I pray for you. Love never has, never will, and does not fail.

-K

a reply to: TechniXcality

Haha. Not calling you into doubt, but are you absolutely positive that it wasn't hallucinations? I've had entire conversations with phantoms induced by sleep deprivation, lol.

a reply to: reldra

My mom's eyes were blue to begin with, too, so I am also no help with your question. But I am so sorry to hear you are going through this.

You said your mom looked scared though and I want to share that in my mom's very last moments, she looked amazed at whatever she was seeing. I recall the look of amazement on her face often and find comfort in all kinds of ways. I am hoping the same for your mom.

Just very sorry you are going through this right now. Moms are so precious.

a reply to: reldra

I am sorry for your loss.
This is something I've noticed about dying, but also about elderly. Many children tend to have lightly colored or blue eyes, but that change over time: www.allaboutvision.com...
Iris coloration and its heritability is not entirely understood, though. It could be a some kind of pathological condition that change your mother's eye color.
Could be a cataract, could be some kind of infection or eye hypertension, treatable with drugs like brinzolamide - rxed.eu...
As to facial expression full of fear, it is hard to say what exact reason is. People are often afraid of facing the end of their earthly existence.

a reply to: reldra

Firstly I'd like to echo those above in saying I am sorry for your loss.
I had not heard of this phenomenon before and I am sure it was shocking and perplexing to you.

Have you since asked the other family if they'd noticed it as well?

Your post took me back to a place that I try not to visit but as you will maybe learn we go there anyway after the loss of someone we love so deeply.

My Mother's eyes turned 'milky' but not blue when she was with me at the end. I was administering Xanax and Morphine but I don't think the 'milkiness' (sorry only descriptor I have ATM) was attributed to that, I think it was due to lack of oxygen as she was essentially drowning.

Perhaps, in my Mother's case, it could have been due to the kidney failure. So, I wonder if your Mother's organ failure could have caused the eye color change being eyes so close to the brain?

Again Reldra I am sorry for your loss and hope for you the strength that you will need.

May your Mom as well as you be at peace on this difficult journey.

I have not heard of anyone's eyes changing colors just before death, so I had to go reading up on the phenomenon after reading your post. According to what I read, yes they can change due to certain medical conditions or medications as many have noted.

I also read that certain emotions can also change eye color and I can't think of many other extremely emotional human conditions other than what you and your Mom are going through right now, so perhaps this is what has caused it.

I do find it oddly strange and a little weird that babies come into this world with blue eyes...and now it appears that some of us also leave with blue eyes. If you are in any way spiritual, consider that a human returns to the emotional state they were in as a baby when they are about to leave this earthly realm and perhaps that emotional state is what causes the eyes to go back to blue ? Could she have entered a spiritual and emotional state which caused this ?

I do remember the beautiful blue hues my babies had a birth. I remember It was quite a haunting feeling to peer down into their eyes as I held them for the first time. But not haunting in a bad way... a good way. I remember thinking about how they were going to change color.

Not too long ago, I had the unfortunate circumstance of attending my step Dad's funeral. Your thread struck a cord with me, because while I was there I took notice of my grieving mothers eyes, which I thought had turned an extreme shade of blue. Why I don't know. But I do know she was in a high state of emotional grieving, so could it simply be the emotional state which causes this ? My Moms eyes tend to look various colors, from blue green to gray at different times or depending on what colors she wears. But never did they appear so blatantly blue to me before. Perhaps I was just looking at them a little more than usual because I was trying to see inside, I needed to see and feel that she was going to be ok through this emotional despair and difficult time ?

leolady

answers.yahoo.com...

Quote: "There isn't a change in the iris color, but the cornea clouds and becomes a semi-transparent milky layer which can obscure the iris color below. When a person is alive, the cornea remains transparent by cells transporting water out.
This is what gives the eyes a bluish look sometimes in the dead. "

Sounds feasible.

Another explanation here (post 7):

www.scienceforums.net...

Back in the late 60's-70's my father worked in a small hospice in Adelaide, Australia.
I would frequently tag along as a teenager to help out with small things like washing, cleaning, getting patients water, etc.
This only ever, in mine and his experiences, occurred among individuals with quite dark brown eyes, going blue towards death.
This is due to the body's tendency to stop producing melanin near death, for reasons unknown to me.
- i'll explain as best I can, quickly.

Melanin (or a lack of) creates the pigmentation in your eye. Essentially;
Brown = high amnt. of melanin
Green = mid-high amnt. of melanin
Hazel = low-mid amnt. of melanin
Blue = very low/no melanin

It seems the lack of melanin production near death is the cause for such a rapid change of colour.
If any of you fish, next time you catch one you can see this for yourself. Note the eye colour of the fish when alive. Once dead, after some minutes, the eye will appear noticeably paler and light blue.

Sorry for the long response, I hope your mum is okay.
- J

*Edit*
I, by no means am knowledgable regarding medicine, biology, etc. This is based on my experiences 35 years ago, and what my father told me at the time, which likely isn't considered true anymore. If i'm incorrect, let me know. Thanks.

a reply to: reldra

Hi, My mother had brown eyes her entire life. Towards the end of her life she was in care home with dementia & parkinsons. 84yr. Two weeks prior to passing she would breathe a long extra exhale after each breath while talking to me. Soon after this her brown eyes turned a beautiful blue. I pointed this out to nurses but no one ever heard of this happening. Mom was still talking to me and following me with eyes. One nurse said she believed mom was progressivly passing. Indeed she was. One week later she would pass with a glazed over look in eyes.

Be close, play favorite music, hold her hand.

hi, sorry for your emotional circumstances,of course. Just curious if amongst your blood relatives there are colour blind members at all ?

So so sorry for everyone on this thread who has experienced or is in the process for experiencing loss.
I made a thread in regards to this happening to myself, but I didn't get many replies.

I know babies are born with blue eyes, and blue eyed babies can end up with brown eyes, but that is not the situation that my thread nor this thread is about. Only, I wasn't on the brink of death when this happened to me.

"Brain function and death is manifested in light. My eyes in youth were black, now blue, and as time goes on and strain the brain gets stronger, they are closer to white. White is the color of heaven. Through my window one morning, landed a white dove, which I fed. She wanted to bring me a word that she was dying. From her eyes the light jets were coming out. Never in the eyes of any creature had I not seen so much light, as in that pigeon." - Nikola Tesla

Source: www.linkedin.com...

Don't know its credibility, but seems to align with your experience.

Yes, technically it's blue.

The cornea, not the Iris is what changes.

Seen it many times working in medical - and know it personally when my partner had an overdose, brown eyes clouded over blue - that image is in front of my eyes at instant recall.

It also depends on the length of time the person has been dead for, environment and temperature etc. if it's only just happened, you will have to wait several hours before the effect sets in (I don't know why you would - stuck in a blizzard together?).

Animals also.