Tips for Using Your Steroid Eye Drops After Surgery
Steroid eye drops are great for alleviating inflammation and itching, and they can help your eyes heal. For this reason, they are typically prescribed after patients undergo any sort of eye surgery. Whether you have a laser corrective surgery, cataract surgery, or other ocular procedure coming up, you can expect to be prescribed steroid eye drops to use for at least a week or two after the surgery. Here are some tips to help you use this kind of eye drops most productively and safely.
1. Set an alarm.
Your doctor will tell you how often to apply the drops. It is really important to stick to this schedule, or else your eyes may become too inflamed and itchy, and your healing process will be stunted. Set an alarm on your phone to go off each time you need to use the eye drops. Always carry the eye drops with you so you can insert them when the alarm goes off and without delay.
2. Don't touch the dropper to your eye.
Steroid eye drops are placed in sterile bottles. You really do not want the bottle's contents to become contaminated, because then you might introduce bacteria to your healing eyes and end up with an eye infection. To avoid contaminating your eye drop applicator, never touch the applicator to your eye. Always hold the applicator an inch or two above your eye, and squeeze to let the drops fall. This might feel a little weird the first time or two that you do it, but then you'll get used to it.
3. Tell your doctor about any side effects.
Steroid eye drops are quite safe, and they rarely cause side effects, especially when you just use them short-term after surgery. However, there is a possibility of side effects including burning in the eyes, blurry vision, and sensitivity to light. If you experience any of these effects, don't just assume they are the result of surgery. Reach out to your eye surgeon, and tell them what you are experiencing. They can evaluate whether or not the symptoms are due to your eye drops and whether it is safe for you to continue using the drops.
Steroid eye drops are an excellent tool when you're healing from eye surgery. They allow you to heal faster and with less discomfort, so long as you're careful to follow the tips above when applying and using the drops. Learn more by contacting ocular steroid treatment services.
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