Friday, October 25, 2019

How to Deal with Eyeglasses and Shades after a Nose Job

For anyone who’s either just undergone or is about to undergo a nose job (or rhinoplasty) and relies on glasses or sunglasses in their day-to-day lives, there’s usually one question weighing on their minds: am I going to be able to wear my glasses?

This is a pretty vital question, as millions of patients undergoing nose job surgery rely on their
glasses to see the world around them, read, drive, and work. While contact lenses may be the most obvious solution, this is not one that will work for everyone.

Ahead, we’ll go through what you should know and solutions available to you regarding how
best to deal with wearing your glasses and sunglasses following a nose job.

When Can You Wear Glasses after a Nose Job?


Immediately following the nose job surgery, your patient’s nose will be covered in a plastic
splint for around 5 to 7 days. This hard nose splint helps maintain the shape of your nose. Due to the nature of the splint and it's hard surface, you can continue to wear their glasses or sunglasses during this roughly one week period without any fear or concern of the glasses
negatively impacting the nose or changing its shape.

Once the splint has been removed following one week, however, you will be going through a
five to six-week healing process. Throughout this healing process, you need to avoid wearing
any glasses or sunglasses, in particular, plastic-framed glasses.

According to Mark Glasgold, a revision rhinoplasty expert of New Jersey, the nose is still fairly soft after rhinoplasty, so any glasses placed on the nose, especially relatively heavy glasses, will adversely affect the nasal bones that are still healing and could cause deformations to the shape of the nose. Even following the 5 to the 6-week healing process, many doctors and professionals recommend patients avoid wearing any glasses or sunglasses on a long-term basis for as long as 6 months following the rhinoplasty surgery.

Why You Should Avoid Traditional Glasses While Recovering


Following rhinoplasty, the recovery process for your nose will last for somewhere around 5 to 6 weeks. Any pressure placed upon the nose during this time from glasses is a big no-no as it could negatively affect the nose’s healing process and cause long-term deformations such as bumps or indentations.

While these defects will not likely be permanent, they will certainly cause delays in healing. In a worst-case scenario, additional surgery may be required to smooth out any bumps or dents caused by the weight of the glasses upon the nose.

There are many options available to patients following surgery that can help with their eyesight requirements, such as contact lenses, post rhinoplasty glasses, cheek guards, or forehead mounted glasses supports.

As a general rule, you should avoid resting glasses on your nose for 5-6 weeks after
rhinoplasty.

Tips for Recovering and Managing your Vision Following a Rhinoplasty


Patients who’ve undergone nose job surgery will have a fair amount of recovery ahead of them, and there are lots of things to take into consideration. While the aforementioned splint is taped to your nose for around a week following the surgery, internal dressings are also put in place for 1 to 7 days, and you will be instructed to rest in bed immediately following the surgery with your head rested in a position higher than the chest to help reduce the chances of any swelling or bleeding.

Any slight bleeding and mucus that may drain out with old blood are fairly common occurrences for the first few days following the surgery, and again during the removal of the dressing. A small gauze may be affixed below the nose with a piece of tape, referred to as a “drip pad,” to help absorb mucus and blood.

You will receive a list of precautions that are designed to help make the recovery process as
quick and painless as possible. You may be encouraged to do the following:

● Avoid any exercise or other strenuous activity
● Avoid blowing their nose for several days
● While bandages are covering the nose, avoid using the shower. Instead, take a bath.
● Clothes should be worn that fasten in the front, or don’t have tight necklines. Any
clothing that would make contact with the nose when being pulled over the head, such
as t-shirts or sweatshirts should be avoided
● Be sure to take care when brushing teeth to avoid any excessive upper lip movement
that could disturb the nose
● Smiling, laughing, or any other extreme facial expressions should be avoided
● High fiber foods such as nuts, fruits, and vegetables should be the main focus of your
diet to avoid constipation that could lead to any straining. Straining anywhere in the body
could cause pressure at the surgery site.

It’s also possible that any sun damage could cause permanent irregular discoloration of the nose’s skin color, so be sure to use a sunscreen with an SPF factor no lower than 30 while outside.

With regards to taking care of vision during this process, glasses should not be worn, due to the potential implications of their weight and shape upon a soft, healing nose. One simple answer is to wear contact lenses instead. This would certainly free you from potential complications and the hassles of adapting eyeglasses while you heal. However, not everyone is comfortable or able to take advantage of this option.

One alternative solution is post-rhinoplasty glasses. These are both ultra-light and feature no
rests for the nasal bridge, so they have no adverse effect on the recovery of the nose. Glasses supports that attach to the forehead are also available, or you can even tape your glasses to your forehead so they aren’t resting against your nose. While this may not be much of a fashion statement, it does work. Rest assured that there are many options on the market and you will not have to suffer poor vision during the recovery process following surgery.

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