Cataract surgery is a standard procedure that most surgeons do. Cataracts are routinely removed since they affect such a huge number of people.
Cataract surgery is, in fact, one of the most common surgical procedures in the United States! It has been shown to be a safe and effective procedure.
However, it is vital to use care throughout your rehabilitation following surgery. You put your health at risk if you don’t let your eyes heal. Following cataract surgery, there are seven things you should avoid doing:
Drive
Following cataract surgery, you should not drive for at least 24 hours. You may want to wait even longer since many people have light sensitivity for many days after surgery. Take cautious and don’t drive until you’re sure you can see the road well enough!
Makeup
Makeup is contaminated with germs! It’s entirely safe as long as you don’t share cosmetics, but during the healing process, your eyes are more vulnerable to infection.
Withhold cosmetics until your surgeon’s follow-up visit, and then ask when it’s okay to begin using them.
If you want to wear makeup after cataract surgery, you’ll need to get new cosmetics. This is particularly true when it comes to eye makeup like mascara, eye shadow, and eyeliners. If you’re wearing old makeup, microorganisms may easily get into your eyes.
Carry out any activity that requires a lot of time.
Limit yourself to mild activity unless your surgeon says differently. Heavy lifting, exercise, and other intense activities should all be avoided.
Exercise may aggravate problems that arise during the healing process after cataract surgery. If you engage in any physically demanding activity, you are more likely to be involved in an accident. As a result, take a rest for a while!
Pay a visit to a dusty location.
It’s not the right moment to dust! You should avoid activities and places where there is a lot of dust or dirt in the air for a time.
If you can’t completely avoid dust, use safety glasses while you’re around it. Goggles are preferred over glasses because they keep foreign items out of the space between the lenses.
Swim
You should avoid getting water in your eyes at all costs, therefore avoid directing the shower head directly at your face while bathing. Additionally, following cataract surgery, you should avoid going to the pool or hot tub for two weeks.
Chlorine may hurt your eyes even if you are not recuperating from cataract surgery. Even if your head is above water, avoid entering a pool or hot tub!
Don’t Forget to Wear Sunglasses When You’re Outside
Sunglasses should be worn outdoors at all times, but they are particularly important after cataract surgery. Avoid going out without a beautiful pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV radiation!
Don’t Rub Your Eye
Never, ever, ever, ever rub your eyes! Touching it, even if it seems unpleasant or inflamed, will worsen it. Rubbing your eyes might have serious repercussions.
The bulk of the initial discomfort goes away within a day or two following the procedure. If your pain persists, you may use drugs or eye drops to relieve it. If your discomfort continues after a few days, see your doctor.
Your cataract surgery should not cause you any anxiety. Cataract surgery is a simple and painless procedure. With the cataract experts at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania, you’re in good hands, and there are a few things you can do on your own to speed up your recovery. Let’s have a look at what to do and what not to do after cataract surgery.
Cataract surgery takes around 10 minutes to perform on average. Because we only operate on one eye at a time, the procedure is rather quick. We provide a recovery room where you may unwind for around 30 minutes after surgery, or even longer if you are still groggy from the anesthetic. You’re going to need a ride home.
Time some people report having clear vision immediately after cataract surgery, your vision may be blurry for a while while your eye adapts to the new lens implant we put in to replace your clouded natural lens.
Due to ruptured blood vessels, the white component of your eye may seem red; this is totally normal and usually resolves within a few days. You may also have bruising behind your eye that looks like a black eye; this is normal and will go away in a few days.
What Should You Do and What Shouldn’t You Do
A dry eye feeling is one of the most common adverse effects following cataract surgery. Although the eye may seem itchy, as if it wants to be scratched, resist the urge to rub it. Rubbing the new lens may cause it to get dislodged. As your eye heals, the itchiness diminishes day by day. If you already have dry eye, it is possible that the condition could worsen after surgery.
Remember to take the medications we suggest. We’ll give you antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops to take home. For the first week after surgery, you’ll need to give the drops many times a day. Make sure you never miss a dose and follow the directions to the letter.
It’s Time to Get Better
Overdoing it and attempting to do too much too soon is one of our most severe challenges. While you may feel great after surgery, you must gradually resume your normal daily activities.
Avoid bending forward shortly after cataract surgery to avoid putting further strain on your eye. Sneezing should also be avoided for the same reasons. The day following surgery, avoid driving. We don’t want you to undertake any strenuous activities or heavy lifting for the first several weeks after surgery.
You should avoid swimming pools and hot tubs for at least the first week while your eye heals. Additionally, stay away from dusty and pollen-filled areas for a few weeks to prevent irritants in your eyes.
While the list above includes some dos and don’ts, there are a few things you may do in the hours after surgery, such as take a shower or bath, do some light computer work, or watch a little TV.
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