4 Tips For Adapting To Your Artificial Eye
Once you have had a month or two to heal from your eye removal procedure, your doctor will refer you to an artificial eye clinic to be fitted with an artificial eye. This prosthesis is for more than appearances. It is also designed to support your eye socket so that you do not develop bone loss or a change in face shape without your natural eye present. Most patients have a little difficulty adapting to their false eye at first, but the tips below can help you handle that difficulty.
1. Practice inserting and removing your eye at home
If you are at work or in public and need to remove or re-insert your eye, you do not want the ordeal to take you hours. So, as soon as you get your eye, spend a few hours practicing the insertion and removal. If you struggle to do this within a few minutes, head back to the eye clinic. Their technicians can help guide you and show you where to position your hands during the removal and insertion process.
2. Don't wear it all day immediately
Your eye doctor and the prosthetic specialist will assert the importance of wearing your eye all of the time, even when you are sleeping, to preserve your eye socket. However, it's important for you to realize that this is something to work up to -- not something to do immediately. It's totally okay, and usually helpful, to only wear the eye for half a day at first. This gives the socket time to adapt and will keep you from getting that annoying ache that tends to creep in when you are first adapting to the eye.
3. Follow cleaning instructions carefully
So many patients attempt to clean their prosthetic eyes with a harsh chemical cleaner, only to insert them and then experience tissue irritation. Remember, the tissue surrounding your eye socket is still very sensitive. You should only ever use water, and sometimes a mild soap recommended by your doctor, to wash the eye.
4. Always carry your case
Put your eye case in your bag or purse and bring it with you everywhere. This way, should you have to remove your eye when you are out and about, you will have a case to store it and won't have to worry about damaging it.
If you have additional concerns about adapting to your eye, don't hesitate to contact a company like Real Life Faces.