Is it normal to have dry eyes after cataract surgery
AUG 20, 2013
Question:
I had cataract surgery about five months ago and that eye always feels dry and sometimes seems cloudy. Is this normal?
Answer:
Dry eye after cataract surgery is not common five months after the surgery. There are multiple causes for dry eyes. A relatively common problem to explain this is that there may be some plugging of the glands of the eyelids that normally express fluid to lubricate the eye. Often after eye surgery, patients tend not to clean the eyelids as aggressively for fear of touching the eye. Cleaning the closed eyelids with a warm washcloth and baby shampoo often remedies this situation. Intermittent blurriness is typical of dry eyes and suggests the problem is not with the surgery, but rather with the surface of the eye. Please see your eye surgeon if symptoms do not resolve.