Having LASIK is an exciting experience. If you’ve lived most of your life with glasses or contacts, LASIK will change how you see the world.
It takes several months after LASIK to achieve your peak vision. But that doesn’t mean you won’t see any improvements before that!
If you want your best vision and the smoothest recovery, you have to take care of yourself after surgery. Post-surgical care isn’t difficult. The key? Making sure you take the best care possible of your eyes and follow all instructions.
Here are five tips for your recovery that will ensure you get the most out of LASIK.
1. Take Medication as Prescribed
After having LASIK, your doctor will prescribe antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops. It’s important to take these eye drops as often and as long as your doctor tells you.
Don’t stop taking them if your eyes feel better after a day or so. The eye drops prevent and treat irritation and infection following your surgery.
Failing to take these drops increases your risk of infection. If you want your eyes to heal as they should, be diligent taking your eye drops!
2. Avoid Heavy Activity
For at least a month following LASIK, you should avoid any strenuous activities. Yes, this does include exercising. Why? Strenuous activities can harm the flap that’s created during LASIK, which could cause complications.
You’ll also want to avoid any contact sports that could result in getting hit in the face or eyes. Being hit in the face or eyes during your recovery could also result in complications.
3. Keep Your Eyes Protected
You’ll be given eye shields to wear at night. Use them! They prevent your eyes from rubbing up against your pillow. Also be sure to keep anything out of your eyes, including water.
Be careful showering and keep the shower head pointed away from your face. Be sure to wear sunglasses whenever you go outside, too.
As for pools and hot tubs, avoid them completely for a week or two. Getting chlorine in your eyes normally is bad, but when your eyes are healing, it’s even worse.
4. Avoid Eye Makeup
If you usually wear makeup, skip the eye makeup for a while. After a week or two, you can start wearing eye makeup again, but you should only use new or unopened makeup.
Used makeup is a breeding ground for bacteria. After LASIK, your eyes are more susceptible to infections. Play it safe and only wear new makeup to avoid any infections after LASIK. Besides, who doesn’t want an excuse to buy new makeup?
5. Don’t Rub Your Eyes
You should never rub your eyes, but it’s especially important when your eyes are healing after LASIK. Rubbing your eyes can cause all sorts of problems after you have LASIK.
Germs from your hands can get in your eyes and cause infections. You can also dislocate your corneal flap if you rub too hard. So don’t touch your eyes at all!
If you must to remove an eyelash or anything else that’s gotten in your eyes, make sure you wash your hands first. After washing your hands, only use the lightest touch. Never, ever rub!
Have more questions about LASIK, like if you could be a good candidate? Schedule a LASIK consultation at New England Eye Center in Boston!
