Will Cataract Surgery Improve My Night Vision? Yes — almost always, cataract surgery will improve your night vision for driving, walking and any other activities in low light. One of the first symptoms of cataracts is a loss of contrast sensitivity, which is most apparent in dim lighting.
Yes, cataract surgery improves your night vision to a larger extent. Night vision improvement will enable you to drive, walk in low lights too. As the cataract advances the vision loss worsens, surgery might help restore your vision back.
Will I see better at night after refractive cataract surgery? Side effects like poor night vision, halos, or glares around bright lights are possible after refractive cataract surgery. However, these sensations are normal and dissipate as your eyes recover and adjust to the new lenses.
Blurred vision is a common reaction to cataract surgery because your eyes need time to heal and adjust to the lens your doctor implanted.
It may also water more than usual. Most people see better 1 to 3 days after surgery. But it could take 3 to 10 weeks to get the full benefits of surgery and to see as clearly as possible. Your doctor may send you home with a bandage, patch, or clear shield on your eye.
Patients with a dislocated IOL may experience a decrease or change in vision, diplopia, and/or glare. Additionally, they may report ocular pain or headaches from intermittent angle-closure and/or inflammation. Some patients also report seeing the edge of the IOL.
“High eye pressure can interfere with the incision before it fully heals,” says Eghrari. “Positions that put your head below your waist, such as bending over, can also increase eye pressure and should be avoided initially after surgery.”
In the early stages of a cataract, you may not notice any significant changes to the clarity of your vision. At this stage, you may be more sensitive to glare around lights when driving at night, or if the sun is low. As a cataract progress further, you may then begin to notice your vision becoming cloudy or blurry.
It is very common to have blurry or unclear vision in the days and sometimes even weeks after cataract removal. Most of the time, this is caused by normal swelling in the eye which occurs as a part of surgery. Patients with larger, denser and/or firmer cataracts are more likely to experience more inflammation.
Cataract surgery should not affect how you sleep, aside from wearing the protective eye shield to avoid rubbing the eye. Rubbing your eye or even water splashing in your eye can aggravate the chances of infection. You may also want to avoid sleeping on the side of the operated eye for the first 24 hours.
Those looking for a more budget-friendly option might choose Optix 55 Wraparound Night Driving Glasses to reduce headlight glare and improve vision clarity while driving or operating machinery. LensCovers offers polarized wraparound sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection.
After the procedure
Colors may seem brighter after your surgery because you are looking through a new, clear lens. A cataract is usually yellow- or brown-tinted before surgery, muting the look of colors.
Cataracts can make it difficult to see in low light. One of the primary indications that cataracts are developing is the gradual loss of contrast sensitivity, which becomes especially noticeable in dim lighting. This can heavily impact night vision, making activities like driving difficult or even dangerous.
How Can Cataracts Affect the Way I Drive? Cataracts can make it harder for you to see the road, street signs, lane markers, and even people and bicyclists in the road. Here are some warning signs: Difficulty seeing clearly at dawn, dusk, and at night.
It is very common to have blurry or unclear vision in the days and sometimes even weeks after cataract removal. Most of the time, this is caused by normal swelling in the eye which occurs as a part of surgery. Patients with larger, denser and/or firmer cataracts are more likely to experience more inflammation.
How long after cataract surgery can you bend over? While it may seem an odd question, bending over or leaning forward for any length of time can put pressure on your eye. This can affect the healing process. Try to avoid bending over for the first two weeks after surgery.
Some Don'ts: Things to Avoid
Avoiding eating and drinking before your surgery. Don't wear makeup to the surgery appointment, and avoid wearing makeup until your ophthalmologist allows it so that you can better prevent infection. Avoid getting irritants in your eyes.
Please wear sunglasses or your normal glasses during the day, to help protect your eye. Please wear the eye shield you have been given at night for the next 5 nights. You can secure it with medical tape or sellotape. When washing your face, avoid your eye area.
Protective glasses are prescribed after cataract surgery. But for the purpose of reading, you can use your old glasses for up to 3 weeks until the refractive power of the operated eye stabilises, after which your doctor will prescribe new glasses.
Most people can do very light exercise the day after surgery, including walking. For activities like biking, running, tennis, golf and sex, wait one week after your procedure. If you are a swimmer, doctors advise you to wait two weeks before going in the water to minimize your risk of infection and irritation.
In most cases, vision improves immediately after surgery, although pupils may remain dilated for 1-2 days. As the eyes heal and adjust, some patients may experience blurry vision. Blurry vision usually clears the day following the surgery. However, for some people vision can take several days to return to normal.
For the first night and day after your surgery, you can expect: Blurry vision: While your vision will be clear, you might see some blurring for a day or so. This is normal and will go away. Foreign body sensation: It might feel like something is stuck in your eye — resist the urge to rub your eye.