Most people recover quickly: home the same day, drops for about four weeks, and a short list of things to avoid.
NHS guidance says vision can be blurry for a few hours and the eye may hurt for a few days, with prescribed eye drops for about four weeks to support healing and prevent infection. The avoid list: no rubbing the eye, no driving until vision is back to normal, no heavy lifting or sports, no eye makeup, no water in the eye, and no swimming. A dressing or shield protects the eye early on, and sunglasses help with light sensitivity. Full settling, including a stable glasses prescription, takes several weeks.
What to do
Common questions
What is cataract surgery recovery like?
Most people find cataract surgery recovery surprisingly quick. The NHS says you go home the same day, vision may be blurry for a few hours because of the dilating drops, and your eye may ache for a few days. You will use prescribed eye drops for about four weeks to help healing and prevent infection. The do-not list matters more than the timeline: do not rub your eye, do not drive until your vision is back to normal, no heavy lifting or sports, no eye makeup, no water in the eye, and no swimming, even with goggles. Wear the eye shield at night if given one, and sunglasses help if lights seem brighter than usual. Many people notice colors looking sharper within days, though the brain and eye take a few weeks to fully adjust, and a final glasses prescription usually waits about four to six weeks until the eye settles. Call the team promptly for severe or worsening pain, vision that deteriorates instead of clearing, increasing redness, flashes, or a curtain over your vision; those are the warning signs, not part of normal recovery.