5 Tips for Recovering From Cataract Surgery

Cataracts can be worrying. Affecting your vision in a wide variety of ways, they are something that can be helped with proper cataract surgery.

But you’re not here to be talked into that surgery. No, you’re here because you’ve had it done, and now you are desperate to get your eyes and body back into tip-top shape so you can get back out there doing what you love most.

If that sounds like you, then you’ll likely benefit from reading on, as we at the Clearview Vision Institute will run through exactly what you can do to make a difference in your recovery in a safe, effective, and quick manner. 

1. Limit high energy activity

This one may seem obvious, but it bears repeating. When you are recovering from rather serious surgery, you should avoid any activities that are tiring and draining.

Specifically, you should avoid any intense exercise or activities that require exceptionally hard lifting for at least a couple of weeks.

You want to do this to lower the chance that your eye pressure will spike up in an unsafe way. Any high eye pressure can interfere with the cuts leftover from your surgery. It can cause it not fully to heal properly.

Similarly, avoid any positions that put your head below your waist, like, for example, avoiding bending over or standing on your head – which we hope you wouldn’t be doing – as that can also increase eye pressure and hamper the otherwise straightforward healing process from this procedure.

2. Avoid irritants & eye trauma

This is another one that should seem somewhat obvious. But it’s easy to forget when you come home from the surgery and feel the annoying sensation of something in your eye, almost feeling like a bit of sand or an eyelash. But this is all part of the healing process.

For around a week, but potentially more, your eyes can be very sensitive and attuned to small shifts and changes in the environment around you after the surgery.

As dorky as they look, you may want to consider investing in wraparound sunglasses to guard you against any undue exposure to dust or pollen.

This has the dual advantage of protecting you from the light you may find very sensitive to.

Of course, when we talk about trauma, we also speak about minor things like rubbing your eyes or touching them. Remember, they are essentially open healing wounds. Would you rub your hands all over a gash on your leg? Probably not, so don’t do this while you’re healing from cataract surgery.

However, during this recovery time, you can expect to be given a shield for your eyes to wear while you sleep, so you don’t inadvertently touch or rub them while unconscious. 

3. Avoid submerging your head under water

You do not want to expose your eyes to water. Water of any kind can be a breeding ground for germs of all types, and even if it doesn’t infect your recovering surgical site, it can, at the very least, irritate your eyes.

So absolutely make sure you don’t jump into pools or immediately plunge your head underwater.

Even showering should be held off for at least one night of sleep. And when you shower, don’t let the stream of water hit your eyes directly.

You should ask your doctor when exactly it becomes safe to expose yourself to water again, but typically you should expect a couple of weeks before you can get to the point where it’s safe to swim or use a hot tub.

4. Do not drive

Another important thing that you need to keep in mind is not to be driving.

Driving is a dangerous task at the best of times, and when your vision is impaired in any way it is not a good time to be behind the wheel of a potentially lethal motor vehicle.

This is another decision that you need to make with the clued-in help of your doctor. But if you think that your vision is impaired at all, it’s best to lay off the car usage at least until things return to normal.

After cataract surgery, people will often find that the world around them is brighter than it once was. This can be disruptive to your ability to drive, meaning that you will either need to wait it out or get a dedicated set of sunglasses or driving sunglasses that can reduce the glaring headlights beaming through your windshield.

5. Listen to your doctor

Above all else, listen to your doctor. Your doctor is the one who did the procedure, who has years of experience in the matter, and who knows the exact conditions and recovery status of your eyes.

So make sure to ask the questions you need to ask. Figure out what precautions you need to take and what advice is most applicable to you. Then, heeding the professionals’ words, you’ll be ready to start healing and get back to living. 

Closing Thoughts

You’ve gotten cataract surgery. The hard part is done. Now all you need to do is relax and do everything you need to do to ensure a healthy and pleasant recovery. Listen to the advice above, and you’ll be well on your way to getting back to normal life. Most importantly, listen to the professionals who care for you in your life and don’t let them or yourself down. 

So while you can’t necessarily control all the factors in your recovery from cataract surgery, there is a wide array that is totally within your control.

If you follow these instructions along with the doctor-recommended orders, you’ll be quickly on your way to getting back into the game and resuming a normal and fulfilling life. 

To learn more about recovering from cataract surgery, call Clearview Vision Institute at 647-493-6371 or contact us here.