LASIK is one of the most popular forms of vision correction in the world today. The ability to experience the world around you without the daily dependence on glasses or contacts to perform functions such as driving and working leads to a deeper enjoyment of your day. One of the many benefits of LASIK is a fast healing and recovery time. Most LASIK patients have clear vision within days of surgery, without the assistance of glasses. Here are several tips that can speed up the recovery process even further and help you avoid any complications:
- Take Adequate Time to Heal: Immediately following your LASIK procedure, you won’t be able to operate a vehicle, so a means of transportation to and from the doctor is a must. Give you and your eyes time to rest before you go about your daily activities normally. Ease your way back into the flow of things and make sure you take a couple of days off school or work to allow for proper healing and recovery.
- Consider Taking Baths Instead of Showers: A bath may enable you to protect your eyes better than you would in a shower. Shampoo and soap can contaminate or irritate your eyes, so any contact with these products should be avoided. Water from the shower that hits you directly in the face can also cause complications when the droplets hit your eyes. When drying yourself, make sure you avoid rubbing your eyes at all costs.
- Follow Through with Scheduled Doctor Visits: There will be several scheduled appointments with your LASIK surgeon in the days, weeks and months following your procedure. It is important that you go to each of these appointments so that your doctor can monitor your recovery progress.
- Use all Prescribed Medication as Directed: You will be prescribed medicated and lubricated eye drops to assist with the LASIK recovery process. These eye drops are essential for proper healing and can help prevent dryness and discomfort.
- Avoid Playing Sports: You’ll want to avoid any sports, whether they are contact sports or not, for up to a month. Although it may be possible for you to participate in non-contact sports much sooner, your vision and depth perception may not have fully adjusted. This puts you at risk of having a person or object inadvertently hit you in the eyes which can create complications for your LASIK recovery. Watersports or any other water activities should be avoided until one month after treatment.
- Use Eye Protection: After your LASIK surgery in Laguna Hills, your surgeon will provide you with an eye shield to protect your eyes. You’ll want to wear some type of eye protection for up to two weeks after your procedure to prevent damage that may occur while you sleep or an inadvertent blow to the eye from a person or object.
- Avoid Facial Applications: Creams, lotions and makeup should be avoided to prevent infection. Eye liner, eye shadow and mascara are especially dangerous because small particles from the makeup can enter or irritate your eye.
- Protect Your Eyes from The Sun: You’ll find that your eyes are extra sensitive to bright light, especially sunlight, post-surgery. Wearing sunglasses with full UV protection is important for helping your cornea heal.
- Do Not Touch Your Eyes: No matter how bad they burn or itch, do not touch your eyes after LASIK surgery. Rubbing or scratching your eyes is a natural tendency that everyone is born with, and refraining from doing this will be the most challenging thing you face during the recovery process. No matter how irritated they feel, don’t rub your eyes. It can damage the corneal flap, and may require your doctor to readjust it.
The surgeons at Harvard Eye Associates are committed to helping all patients achieve clear vision through LASIK. To schedule a LASIK consultation in Laguna Hills, contact Harvard Eye Associates at 949-951-2020 or harvardeye.com.
