What Are the Dos and Don'ts After Cataract Surgery?
As a consultant eye surgeon who deals with many cataract patients, Mr Alex Day has plenty of advice to offer when it comes to post-operative care. If you have recently had – or are considering having – cataract surgery to help improve your eyesight, then what are the rules you will need to follow to help ensure a rapid recovery? Read on to find out.
Dos Following Cataract Surgery
Do give your eyes a break. They will be a little gritty and the vision soft focus immediately after surgery, so rest them as much as possible for the first day. Getting a good night’s sleep and closing your eyes during the day will be a helpful way of allowing the natural healing process to occur.
Do take your eye drops as recommended by your surgeon. The eye drops are there to help the healing and are anti-inflammatory and antibiotics. Artificial tear drops can also be used to help keep your eyes comfortable and well hydrated.
Do make sure you put your eye shield on when you go to bed for the first week. Tape it to your face so it sits securely, helping your eye to avoid unnecessary contact as you sleep.
Do take a break between eye drop applications. If you put drops into your eye immediately after you have already used them, then the previous drops will simply get washed out, thus negating their effect. A few minutes between applications is all you need to maintain.
Do protect your eyes when you are outside. What you want to avoid is grit or dust being kicked up into your eye. Wearing a simple pair of sunglasses will be enough to help prevent these sorts of unwanted irritants.
Don'ts Following Cataract Surgery
Don’t do any heavy lifting or demanding exercises for the first two weeks.
Don’t go into dusty environments. If you work in an industrial setting or somewhere where dust is particularly prevalent, then you will need to take at least two weeks off to allow your eyes to recover.
Don’t wear any eye make-up. Doing so can cause irritation to the eyes after cataract surgery, so leave the eye blusher and mascara for a couple of weeks.
Don’t go swimming for at least two weeks after your surgery. Generally speaking, you should try to keep water out of your eyes for a few days after your surgery, so for example when showering keep your eyes closed or have someone help you wash your hair.
Don’t rub your eye. Although it may sound obvious, eye rubbing could cause damage as modern cataract surgery is done without any sutures. So try to avoid temptation and use your eye drops instead.