Critical Vision Consulting: An Optometry Blog

Critical Vision Consulting: An Optometry Blog

Advice on how to shorten the recovery time after cataract surgery

Enni Marttila

While recovery from cataract surgery should be reasonably short and pain free, provided that you are reasonably healthy, there are a few different steps you can take in order to shorten this process.

It is a great surgery and most people will benefit greatly from the sharper vision as a result of having it done. But it is perfectly normal for your vision to be a bit blurry and out of focus for a few days after the surgery as you are adapting to the new environment in your eye.

Make sure that you follow the surgeon's directions with regards to wearing the eye patch as you don't want to cause any unnecessary complications. Here is some advice on how to maximise the chances of having a complete and quick recovery.

Precautions

When you have had the surgery completed, you might feel great. However, this doesn't mean that you can disregard the doctor's directions when it comes to looking after the eye.

During the first week or so after the surgery, you should take it easy and not over exert yourself. This will prevent the eye from becoming infected and it will also further decrease the amount of inflammation that is present in the eye.

Medication

When you have completed the surgery, the surgeon or doctor will prescribe you certain eye drops to use for a while. These will protect the eyes from infection and help to decrease the inflammation. You need to follow the exact directions outlined by your doctors in order to reap the complete benefits offered by the drops.

Although you should normally only have some mild discomfort after the surgery, some people may choose to use an oral anti-inflammatory that the doctor has described in order to dull the pain.

Advice on how to speed up the recovery process

You should never consider driving on the day of the surgery. Your vision won't be quiet right and you may be groggy, all of which could result in you having a serious accident. This will also put an unnecessary strain on the eye. Don't conduct any heavy lifting or extremely strenuous activity for a couple of weeks as this will increase blood pressure in the eye.

Try not to bend over much or hang your head upside down as that will also put a lot of pressure onto the eye. Avoid using a swimming pool or hot tub for a number of weeks while the eye heals. You never know what type of bacteria could enter your eyes, and the chemicals in the water will not be good for the inflammation.


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About Me
Critical Vision Consulting: An Optometry Blog

Welcome to my blog. My name is Matthew, and my blog focuses on everything related to optometry, with an emphasis on making the most of your vision consultations with your optometrists. Although I am not an optometrist, I have been involved in the industry for years as a glasses wearer. I hope that the facts, ideas and range of posts about optometry here help you, and if you share them, I hope they help your friends as well. When I'm not typing on a computer, I love to do woodworking, ski, read, follow politics and spend time with my family.