Eye Care After Cataract Surgery With Intraocular Lens Implants

If you have been diagnosed with cataracts, then your vision may be hazy and blurry. Cataracts can also affect night driving because they can cause excessive glare or halos around bright lights. You may also notice that colors do not seem as vibrant and notice that your eyes look filmy or cloudy.

Cataracts refer to when the lens of your eye becomes opaque. While stronger glasses may help improve your vision temporarily, you may need cataract surgery to replace your natural lenses with clear intraocular implants. Here are some eye care instructions you will need to follow after your cataract surgery.

Wear Your Protective Eye Shield

In the operating room following your surgery, the doctor or nurse will tape a hard protective eye shield over your eye. You will need to keep this eye shield on to help protect your eye from injury and debris. When resting quietly for short periods of time, however, you may remove your eye shield. 

When you are out and about or if you are a very restless sleeper, you will need to keep the eye shield on so that you do not injure the surgical site. Your physician will let you know when you can safely go without wearing the eyeshield after they have examined you at your first post-operative office visit.

Avoid Increasing Your Eye Pressure

Following your cataract surgery, you will be instructed to avoid participating in strenuous activities, climbing stairs, stooping, and bending over. These activities can increase your intraocular pressure, which can slow the healing process. Certain medications such as oral and nasal spray decongestants can also increase your eye pressure and should be avoided during your recovery period.

If your eye pressure gets too high after your cataract surgery, you may be at risk of developing glaucoma. Your doctor will give you eye drops to prevent high eye pressure, however, if you experience an increase in eye pain, excessive tearing, pulling sensations, eye itching, or a severe headache, call your eye surgeon right away because these symptoms may mean that your eye pressure is very high. If elevated intraocular pressure is not treated, the risk for permanent vision loss may increase.

If you are anticipating cataract surgery, talk to your surgeon about the above post-operative eye care interventions. When you follow your doctor's post-operative instructions, you will be more likely to experience a non-eventful and speedy recovery following your cataract surgery. 

Contact your eye doctor for more information about eye care.