When it comes to having cataract surgery, the more you do before the surgery, the less you have to worry about during your recovery time. Take, for example, the simple act of cooking. As someone who loves to cook, it is important you are aware of how cooking can impact on your eyes while they are healing phase. There are three things you need to avoid doing in the kitchen after cataract surgery, so by knowing what these are, you will avoid doing damage to your eyes.

Steam

One of the instructions your cataract surgeon will give you is that you need to make sure you don't get water in your eyes while showering after your surgery is complete. For the first week, you must close your eyes while in the shower to avoid water getting into them. This instruction needs to be taken one step further and applied to cooking as well. Steam rising from cooking can get into the eyes while you are leaning over looking at the pot. Water in your eyes too early increases the risk of infection, so boiling water to cook food is not advisable after cataract surgery.

Heat

Heat is another item to be avoided during cataract surgery recovery, but how do you do this in the kitchen when heat is the main source of energy used to cook food? Heat dries out the eyes while you are cooking, and while your eyes are fragile and recovering, you need to avoid dry eyes, so you are not tempted to rub them. Rubbing your eyes after cataract surgery could lead to the incision opening up and an infection developing. Avoiding heat in the kitchen is pretty impossible, so other food sources need to be considered.

Spitting Oil

Frying food certainly takes away the hunger pains, but spitting oil is another enemy of your eyes after surgery is complete. While it is rare for hot oil to spit up into the eye, it does happen. Hot oil could burn the eye, leaving permanent damage. It could also irritate the incision or cause an infection to develop.

When it comes to cataract surgery, the best way to make sure your eye is not damaged in the first few weeks after surgery is to avoid the kitchen altogether. You should either precook your meals, live on fast food, or rely on family members to feed you for the first two weeks. While it is annoying to have to stay out of the kitchen when you love cooking so much, it is also vital you give your eyes the time they need to heal properly.   

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