Cataract Surgery: Planning For Recovery
When cataracts in one or both eyes have occluded your vision so much that they require surgery, you might be somewhat worried. You may feel concern over pain and other parts of the actual surgery and how you'll feel in the days after the procedure. With these eye recovery recommendations, your eyes can recover quickly, and life can continue with better vision.
1. Ask for Single-Use Steroids
Right after cataract removal, it's common for eyes to feel inflamed and painful because of the work done. Traditionally, surgeons have prescribed special steroid eye drops that reduce eye-related inflammation in an effort to reduce optical swelling and eye pain. These drops can provide relief, but only for short periods; you must continue using them, sometimes for weeks. If you're someone who dislikes the process of dropping liquids into your eye, this could feel uncomfortable as well.
Luckily, the FDA has begun to approve some injected, single dose cataract surgery steroids for cataract surgery participants. Your surgeon will inject this solution into your eyes after removing cataracts, and then drops aren't needed. Right after injection, the steroid solution reduces inflammation locally; the relief is felt throughout the eye, and you should feel more comfortable after surgery is over. The steroids, in some cases, remain effective for about a month. You won't need to worry about remembering to use drops or other medication.
2. Rest Your Eyes
Give your eyes somewhat of a break for a few days. If you're a serious internet user, wait before exposing your eyes to hours and hours of staring at your computer or phone. If you love television, wait before binge-watching your next show. Be gentle with your eyes as they recover.
3. Avoid Strenuous Exercise
You'll want to be careful with the strain on your eyes for some weeks. That means that you may wish to avoid too much cardio or other strenuous exercise routines. Bending over, for instance, could increase optical pressure and feel uncomfortable for your eyes. Focus on short walks through your neighborhood and gentle stretching until your ophthalmologist approves more.
4. Keep Future Appointments
Because surgery is over, you may be mulling over whether follow-up appointments are needed. Your ophthalmologist will notice any problematic issues and let you know whether you're healing properly.
Thinking about recovery will promote good decision making. Your post-operative behavior should be discussed with your ophthalmologist or surgeon to ensure happiness with the procedure's outcome.
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