Cataract surgery recovery can take months. That recovery period factors in the entire healing process. In addition, you can expect discomfort that lasts for several days. Of course, there may come a time in which cataract surgery becomes avoidable. But if your eye doctor encourages you to avoid it for now, there are many things you can do to slow cataract progression.
Why Should You Avoid Cataract Surgery Recovery Time
Why Avoid Cataract Surgery?
Delaying cataract surgery won’t mean that you are putting your vision at risk. Compare someone who gets cataract surgery at an early stage of low vision, that person has the same recovery time and improvement as someone who delays surgery.
During cataract surgery, the specialist removes the natural lens of your eye. This is the lens which has become cloudy from cataracts. An artificial lens is then inserted. (Your eye condition may prohibit an artificial lens. If so, the surgeon only removes the damaged lens. Eyeglasses or contacts will be suggested.) You stay awake during surgery but receive local anesthesia.
Most patients experience some pain the first few days of cataract surgery recovery. It takes up to eight weeks to feel “normal” again. Do you have cataracts in both eyes? If so, you’ll undergo surgery twice. Once you’ve recovered from the first natural lens removal and lens implant, the secondary surgery happens a couple of months later. That’s a total of 16 weeks recovery.
Potential risks include retinal detachment, bleeding, and infection. These complications are unlikely, but you should consider them.
Cataract surgery recovery time can cause disruption in your life. For that reason, avoiding it as long as possible is often urged. Delaying might enable you to wait until retirement, for example. Or you may discover that the cataract never progresses to the point of requiring surgery. That’s why your eye doctor may suggest trying alternatives to cataract surgery first.
Getting Serious About Vision Enhancement
Seeking cataract surgery alternatives doesn’t mean you’re neglecting your vision. Minimizing cataract risk starts with having your current eye prescription reassessed. New contact lenses or eyeglasses can make a world of difference. Consider a magnifying lens for reading. A lens also helps with work which requires sharp vision up close, such as sewing.
Protecting Your Eyesight and Overall Health
If you do have early symptoms of cataract risk, accept that your night vision or distance vision isn’t what it once was. You don’t want to put yourself at risk of tumbling down the stairs out of sheer stubbornness! Invest in brighter lighting throughout the house. Give special attention to areas in which not seeing well can be hazardous to your health. These places include food prep surfaces in the kitchen. Stairs and shower stalls can also be tricky.
Other sensible safety measures include avoiding night driving. If you’re not currently in the habit of wearing sunglasses when out, get in that habit! The sun’s ultraviolet rays can encourage cataract growth.
Speaking of habits — get ready to kick some. Smoking and excessive drinking increase cataract risk. Obesity can also result in cataracts. You will have to reduce your intake of fatty and sugary foods.
Cataracts can sometimes be a secondary problem of a primary disease or health issue. Cataract risk makes taking on those health problems even more urgent. Diabetes and high blood pressure carry the risk of low vision.
Making Dietary Changes
Did your eye doctor assess you as having high cataract risk? What you eat can help you put off or avoid cataract surgery. Cut back on saturated fats and sugar. Adding vitamin-rich produce is also key to cataract prevention. Foods high in vitamins C and E are especially important for eye health.
You do not need to fixate on one “miracle food” to lower your cataract risk. Eat a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables. This practice delivers the helpful amounts of antioxidants that you need overall. Aim for at least five servings of these produce portions each day.
Broccoli is high in both C and E vitamins. Citrus fruits, kale, sweet peppers, and tomatoes deliver lots of vitamin C. For vitamin E, include plenty of avocados, sunflower seeds, and spinach in your diet. Improving your diet can help you lower the risk factors for eye diseases as well as avoid getting time off work for cataract surgery recovery.
If you want to avoid cataract surgery recovery, watch the video from WaysAndHows below for ways to prevent the onset of this disease.
The time may come when low vision completely interferes with your quality of life. If that happens, know that cataract surgery is usually successful. Yes, it does carry some risks. But if you’ve tried preventative methods first, you’ll feel more confident about surgery. You’ll know that you’ve given less aggressive methods of lowering cataract risk a fair chance.
Have you had surgery on your eyes before? Share your experience with cataract surgery recovery below.
