teens and tweens and contact lensesteens and tweens and contact lenses

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teens and tweens and contact lenses

Do you have a teen or tween that is begging to get rid of his or her glasses and start wearing contact lenses? Do you keep fighting with him or her because you worry about the cost and the potential health risks associated with wearing contact lenses? That is exactly why I fought my daughter about getting contact lenses for about two years. This year, I decided to start researching things a little deeper to find out if all of my concerns were legitimate. Boy, I was surprised when I learned what I did. This blog will share the insight about teens and tweens and contact lenses.

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What To Expect After Cataract Surgery

17 September 2015
 Categories: , Blog

If you are scheduled to undergo cataract surgery, you need to know what to expect after the procedure is complete. If you are having both eyes operated on, the ophthalmologist will likely schedule the surgeries several weeks apart, so you will be recovering for a month in between. Once the surgeries are finished, you can expect several things to happen.

Vision Returns

Your vision may begin to clear up almost immediately or at least within several days  You will be seeing your doctor a day or two after surgery, and he will check your vision then. Some people experience blurry vision for a few days, due to the medication or inflammation, but over time, your vision will improve and eventually stabilize. You should be completely healed by week four. Once that happens, you doctor can determine if you will need glasses or contacts.

After Surgery

After surgery, you will experience minimal pain and discomfort that can be controlled by over-the-counter pain relief medications. If you experience intense pain or swelling and redness, you should immediately contact your doctor. Your eyes may also be sensitive to light, so you will need to wear sunglasses anytime you are outside. 

Medications

The most inconvenient part of your recovery will be the regimen of eye drops that your ophthalmologist will prescribe. You will have several different types that must be used multiple times a day to keep your eyes from becoming infected and to speed their healing. Possible prescriptions include an antibiotic drop, a steroidal anti-inflammatory drop, and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drop. Doctors still ask you to avoid activities that will put pressure on your eyes, but otherwise, you can return to your regular schedule almost immediately. 

Serious Complications

Serious complications after cataract surgery are rare and most can be successfully treated. They include retinal detachment and bacterial infections. A significant number of cataract patients develop a secondary cataract, a condition caused by the lens capsule becoming cloudy. If you develop a secondary cataract, the doctor can correct it in about five minutes using a laser, so you should not become overly concerned about your vision blurring again. 

Cataract surgery has greatly improved in the last few decades. Once cataract patients could expect a lengthy recovery period, but new technologies have made the surgery and recovery quick and almost painless. The results are dramatic, with many patients recovering good vision in a matter of days. You will have to follow a strict medication schedule and take extra care of your eyes while they heal, but in a matter of weeks, you should be completely healed with stable vision. For more information, speak with professionals like Northwest Ophthalmology.