It’s almost summertime, which means that many people are already making beach-day and pool-day plans. There’s nothing like a dip in the water to cool you down. If you’ve recently had LASIK eye surgery, then you may be wondering how this will affect your summer plans. LASIK experts in Los Angeles particularly Doctor Moosa are here to answer all your post-surgery questions and let you know the best way to protect your eyes while you’re enjoying the sunshine.
One of the reasons that people get corrective eye surgery is because it allows them to do certain physical activities more freely. Swimming, for example, can be a pain with glasses or contacts. Either you have to swim blindly, with your glasses on the side of the pool, or you run the risk of losing your contacts in the water and developing an eye infection from bacteria and chemicals. Once patients receive laser eye surgery, they are liberated from this summertime struggle.
The best way to approach your life, post-LASIK, is to follow the instructions given by your LASIK surgeon. They know the status of your eyes better than anyone and will evaluate their healing process in order to give informed opinions about how careful you should be. Predictably, you might need to wait a little before you can enjoy certain activities in order to avoid irritating your eyes while they are in the stages of healing. Here are some general guidelines that you may hear from your doctor after getting laser vision correction in Los Angeles:
- After One Week: The corneal incision is likely still recovering. LASIK patients should stay away from pools to avoid developing an infection.
- After 2-3 Weeks: By now, the corneal incision has likely closed up. However, it is still a good idea to avoid any activities that require water submersion (lakes, pools, hot tubs, etc.).
- After One Month: At this point, doctors will typically allow patients to swim again. However, they will suggest wearing goggles and not opening eyes underwater.
Beyond this, LASIK surgeons recommend always wearing sun protection when spending an extended period of time outside. Whether or not it is a sunny day, sun exposure can have a damaging effect on eyes. Sunglasses should have 100% protection from UVA and UVB rays. LASIK experts also recommend wearing a wide-brimmed hat, along with glasses, to prevent any irritation or sunburns.
Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy your crystal clear vision from LASIK. So, make sure to follow the recovery steps and exercise caution in order to preserve the work of the surgery. LASIK professionals recommend drinking plenty of water in order to offset any dry eye symptoms. This will support the eye’s tear ducts and prevent extreme irritation. Eye drops may also be prescribed to help alleviate any discomfort. Use your drops every day as directed by your surgeon.
You may need to wait a little bit before enjoying your cold plunges into the pool, but it will all be worth it! Before you know it, you will be splashing away the summer days. To learn more about LASIK recovery or to determine if you are a LASIK candidate, contact Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 363-1583.
