Do’s and Don’ts After Cataract Surgery

Most people have heard of cataracts, but you may not realize that this common eye condition is a leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 40 and considered to be the main cause of blindness in the world. When you think of cataracts, you probably think of your grandparents or other senior people that you know. While it’s true that they are more common in the older generation, the truth is that cataracts can strike at any age.


Unfortunately, they are extremely debilitating and can significantly affect the quality of your day-to-day life. The good news that it is possible to restore your vision. To do this, patients must undergo cataract surgery.

 

What are Cataracts and Why Do They Form?

A cataract is a cloudy patch that forms on the natural lens of the eye. In healthy eyes, the proteins found in the lens are evenly dispersed, meaning that light passes right through the eyes and is processed normally. However, in patients with cataracts, the proteins change, clumping together until they cause patches that are impossible for light to penetrate fully through. Many people compare having a cataract to looking through frosted glass.

 

Cataracts are progressive, meaning that they will get worse without treatment. They can affect one eye or both, although their rate of development may vary. It’s not known exactly why some patients develop cataracts and others don’t, but the changes to the proteins are thought to be related to the natural aging process.

 

If you have a cataract, you will eventually start to notice some visual symptoms of your condition. In addition to cloudy patches in your vision, you may also find it hard to tolerate bright light, have difficulty seeing in low light and find that colors don’t seem as bright as you remember.

 

Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is a very simple, straightforward procedure that is performed countless times in the United States every year. The procedure can be carried out under local anesthetic and usually takes less than an hour. The natural lens is removed and discarded and is replaced with an artificial lens known as an intraocular lens or IOL for short.

 

As with any form of surgery, what you do during your recovery may have a significant impact on the success of your procedure. To simply the information you need, here are our top ‘do’s and don’ts’ for cataract surgery.

 

Don’t…

Don't touch your eyes: They will almost certainly feel itchy, irritated, and uncomfortable for at least the first few days following your cataract surgery. You will probably find yourself drawn to trying to touch them, but you must avoid doing this. Rubbing your eyes could push your new lenses out of place, and if you touch your eyes, you run the risk of transferring harmful bacteria onto them.

 

Don't risk placing your eyes under any pressure: Activities such as bending over, sneezing, crying and heavy lifting can cause high levels of pressure which could increase your risk of complications.

 

Don't drive the day of your procedure: In fact, you won’t be able to legally drive again until your surgeon has confirmed the accuracy of your vision. Make sure you have someone who can pick you up and drive you home.

 

Do…

Do take any medications that you are prescribed: This will include eye drops to reduce eye inflammation as well as antibiotic eye drops to prevent infection. Make sure you follow the instructions you are provided with and be sure not to miss any doses.

 

Do give yourself sufficient time to rest: One of the biggest problems is when patients feel capable and try and push themselves back into a normal daily routine too quickly, when in fact their eyes and body need time to heal.

 

Do stay away from environments that could irritate your eyes: This includes dry, dusty, and smoky environments so that you can avoid getting any irritants into your eyes and affecting the healing process.

 

Do speak to your cataract surgeon if you have any concerns at any stage of the treatment.

 

Learn more about do’s and don’t’s after cataract surgery, contact Quality Eye Care in Jacksonville, or Gainesville FL at (904) 601-1300 to learn more.