6 Tips For Your Best LASIK Recovery

LASIK is an extremely safe and low-risk procedure to undergo. In recent years, advances in technology have made it easier for surgeons and patients.

But even when the procedure is quick and painless, many patients worry about how to recover from it. How long will it take? How painful will it be? How likely is an infection or other complications?

The good news is this: LASIK recovery can be as easy as the surgery. But it’s vital that you follow your doctor’s instructions to avoid complications. Here are the main rules any LASIK surgeon will tell you to have the best recovery possible:

1. Take Your Medication as Prescribed

Before and after LASIK, your doctor will give you medications to take. These will mainly be eye drops that act as antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

It’s very important to take these drops as often as prescribed and not miss any dosages. Even if your eyes are feeling fine and you think you no longer need antibiotics, keep taking them. This is the best way to prevent infection.

2. Wear Your Eye Shield at Night

Your surgeon will send you home with an eye shield to cover your eyes. You don’t need to wear the shield during the day. At night, it will prevent you from rubbing your eyes against your pillow.

You should wear the shield for at least the first few weeks after LASIK. Not sure how long to wear it for? Double-check with your doctor to make sure!

3. Protect Your Eyes From Dust, Grime, Water, and Sunlight

Besides taking your eye drops, keeping your eyes clean is the best way to prevent infection. This means keeping anything out of them, including harmful UV light and even water.

One of the best things you can do while your eyes heal after LASIK is wearing sunglasses outdoors. Sunglasses not only protect your eyes from UV light but harmful particles as well.

When you’re in the shower, do your best to keep your face away from the showerhead. You also shouldn’t go into a pool or hot tub, even if you keep your face above water.

Chlorine will be even more harmful to your eyes than normal water. Do yourself a favor and avoid pools or hot tubs for at least two weeks after having LASIK.

4. Delay Exercise

Exercise and other strenuous activity make it more likely that you’ll get debris in your eye or damage them. To be safe, you should avoid exercise for at least a week or two after LASIK.

If you take part in a contact sport, you should wait at least a month after having LASIK before playing again. Your doctor may want you to wait longer to exercise or say you can exercise sooner.

Be sure to ask them for their recommendations at your follow-up appointments. They will know when your eyes can handle contact sports again.

5. Don’t Wear Eye Makeup for a While

After having LASIK, you shouldn’t wear eye makeup for at least a week. You can wear other makeup as long as you don’t get it near your eyes.

The risk with eye makeup is getting it in your eyes or even too close to your eyes. After LASIK, your eyes will be more susceptible to infection.

Eye makeup is a surefire way to spread bacteria into your eyes and cause an infection. Although it seems like overkill, your best bet is to throw out any old makeup from before you had LASIK.

This will prevent you from accidentally getting an infection from old makeup.

6. Don’t Rub Your Eyes

Above all, you should never, ever rub your eyes, even if they itch or feel gritty. They may feel especially itchy for the first day or two after LASIK, but you must control the urge to rub them.

You should never rub your eyes, but after LASIK it’s even more important not to. Not only can you get particles in your eye and cause an infection, but you could dislocate your corneal flap.

Think you may be a good candidate for LASIK? Schedule a LASIK consultation at Berg Feinfield Vision Correction in Pasadena, CA!