Best ways to maintain your eye health after laser eye surgery
Laser Eye Surgery can be a life-changing procedure, especially when it allows people to do more with their eyes than they previously could. On several occasions, people take up new hobbies and even switch new careers after undergoing successful surgeries. However, what happens next? Are people just allowed to live however they like, or expose their eyes to all sorts of things simply because they have corrected their vision? This article explores life after laser surgery, the risks that people still need to protect their eyes from, and the importance of maintaining eye health.
Advantages of Laser Eye Surgery
According to statistics, more than 100,000 laser eye surgery procedures are carried out every year in the UK. People choose this procedure for several reasons, including vision challenges, tiredness from wearing glasses or contact lenses, the urge to go into certain sports, and the desire to dive into new careers where good vision is important.
For most individuals, laser eye surgery provides a great solution to vision problems like myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. It is also generally regarded as a procedure that is safe, with minimal exposure to post-surgery risk. 95% of patients usually report being satisfied with results.
Does A Successful Laser Eye Surgery Mean You No Longer Have To Look After Your Eyes?
Sure enough, laser eye surgery leads to significant improvements in vision, but it is not a magical procedure that shields you from every single eye-related problem that may occur (by natural or unnatural causes) later in life. In spite of the many success stories that have been recorded, laser eye surgery can only do so much.
For instance, laser eye surgery does not stop the natural aging process of the eye. As you get older, you may still need reading glasses due to presbyopia, a condition where the eye's lens loses flexibility, making it difficult to focus on close objects. You may also develop cataracts in later years. This means that even after eye surgery, you need to make some effort in protecting your vision from long-term damage.
How Do You Maintain Your Eye Health?
In recent years, there has been an increased need to become more conscious of eye health. According to statistics, over 3.4 million people had appointments for eye-related problems across the UK in 2023. Also, when you consider that over 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss, then you understand how important it is to take eye care seriously.
Here are a few ways to be more intentional about your eye health, long after laser eye surgery:
-
UV Protection
: It’s helpful to wear sunglasses with adequate UV protection, as this protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. When your eyes are exposed to sunlight for too long, you stand the risk of developing a cataract and other eye defects. -
Diet Changes:
Maintain a healthy lifestyle by consuming a balanced diet and eating food that is rich in nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc and Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Examples of these foods include fish, eggs, citrus fruits and leafy green vegetables. -
Good Hygiene:
Develop healthy practices like washing your hands regularly, using clean tools to apply makeup or lotion to the face, and avoiding contact with eyes when handling chemicals or liquids that could be potentially toxic. You should also avoid places like swimming pools, streams or rivers where you are not sure of what is in the water. -
Doctor’s Orders:
Whatever you do, never use any eye drops or medication that has not been duly prescribed by a registered doctor or pharmacist. -
Lifestyle Adjustment:
In adopting a healthy lifestyle, you may need to avoid addictive habits like smoking or binge drinking. Alcohol consumption can lead to dryness and redness of the eye, and addiction to alcohol can cause vitamin deficiencies, corneal complications and blindness. On its part, smoking can lead to dry eyes, optic nerve problems, and increased exposure to glaucoma. -
Regular Eye Checkup:
It is advisable to go for regular eye examinations at registered clinics or eye care centres, that way you can monitor changes to your vision and act with urgency if required. This is particularly recommended if you work at places with exposure to radiation or harmful chemicals.
How Optimax Prioritises Your Eye Health Even After Laser Surgery
At Optimax Eye Clinics, we aim to enhance the quality of life for our patients by providing world-class eye care services. We strive for excellence in vision correction by employing the latest and safest technologies, but more importantly, we tailor our services to meet the individual needs of each patient.
It is true that we are the first choice for laser eye surgery in the UK, but we also believe that our relationship extends well beyond the moment you leave our clinic after your surgery. We believe that continuity is an important part of the Optimax treatment pathway, so we will be actively involved in your aftercare.
We also have tons of resources on your website where you can learn more about eye care and eye health.
If you have any questions regarding eye care or treatment at Optimax, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We are more than happy to discuss queries with you over the phone (0800 093 1110) or email (enquiry@optimax.co.uk).