Cataract eye surgery removes a cloudy lens and replaces it with a new artificial intraocular lens. While the procedure is generally painless, recovery requires patience and adherence to the safety measures and guidelines your ophthalmologist provides. Here are several tips that can help expedite the recovery process after a successful cataract surgery:
Protect Your Eyes
After successful surgery, your ophthalmologist will recommend placing protective shields over your eyes during healing. The shields, such as wraparound sunglasses, help protect your eyes from dust, pollen, and other foreign particles that can cause irritation. They also help with light sensitivity, a side effect of cataract surgery. Because of this sensitivity, your ophthalmologist might recommend wearing sunglasses outdoors until your eyes heal completely.
During healing, direct contact with water can put your eyes at risk of irritation and infection. To minimize the risk, avoid letting water stream hit your eyes directly when showering. Instead, clean the area around your eyes using clean hands or a clean towel. Avoid using shampoo and soap while cleaning your eye, since they can cause irritation. Also, avoid swimming while healing after a successful cataract surgery.
Rubbing, scratching, or pressing your eyes after surgery might cause infection and irritation, slowing down the healing process. It can also cause intense pain and discomfort; your ophthalmologist will often prescribe protective shields for sleeping to reduce the chance of touching your eyes subconsciously. This helps keep healing on schedule and soothe any pain during the healing process.
Avoid Strenuous Activities
Strenuous activities, such as running and heavy lifting, can increase eye pressure and affect healing after surgery. This pressure can interfere with the incision in your eye or the customized intraocular lens that allows unobstructed light passage. Eye surgeons often prescribe light exercises, including walking and stretching.
After eye surgery, avoid bending in a manner that puts your head below your waist. Placing your head in such positions increases blood pressure in the eyes and affects the healing process. Avoid activities, including driving, that require you to bend occasionally until you heal completely.
Use Medication as Prescribed
Your doctor will often prescribe antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops to expedite healing after surgery. Follow the prescription closely and use the eye drops to completion even after your eyes start feeling better. To avoid contamination and reduce infection risk, wash your hands before using the eye drops. Also, don’t touch the tip of the eye drops bottle or let it touch any part of the eye while administering the medicine. This increases the chances of contamination and infection that can cause other eye diseases.
Schedule Your Cataract Surgery
Cataracts gradually worsen vision, affecting mobility, safety, and overall quality of life. If left untreated, they often lead to vision loss, which can be permanent. Surgery, including procedures such as phacoemulsification, can remove cataracts and replace them with new, customized intraocular lenses (IOLs). After surgery, following a qualified eye surgeon’s guidelines helps speed recovery and healing. Schedule your cataract surgery today to restore your vision.
