Your vision plays a big role in your career; whether you sit behind a computer screen all day or you are part of the fire brigade. Having to hassle with eyeglasses, contact lenses or even special prescription goggles can hinder your job performance. However, taking time off for refractive surgery is a risk, and one you need to ensure will improve your career rather than risk it.
Laser Surgery Corrects Most Vision Problems
Laser eye surgery is a treatment for vision problems and has great success in eliminating or reducing the need for eyeglasses and contact lenses. The procedures correct refractive errors, which are caused by an imperfectly shaped cornea or eyeball. There are four types of vision issues that laser eye surgery can correct:
1. Nearsightedness - You can see close up, but have difficulty seeing far away.
2. Farsightedness - You see clearly far away, but objects and text that are close become hard to see.
3. Astigmatism - Objects are blurred regardless of the distance.
4. Presbyopia - This is an ageing of the eye that affects your ability to focus.
Can Laser Eye Surgery Benefit Your Career?
There are some career types that rely heavily on their vision. However, these careers also have strict requirements for how much time a person can take off for corrective surgery, so you may want to know how long the recovery time will be.
Some common careers that can benefit from laser eye surgery include fire brigade members, PSNI, military members and even members of the parcel force. Before scheduling your surgery, you will want to check with your organisational representative to see how much time you are permitted to take off. A few things you must keep in mind include:
1. Sunscreen Use - The Parcelforce almost always has to wear sunscreen while outside. For the first couple of weeks, you will need to avoid sunscreen around the eyes or anywhere it can drip into the eye.
2. Protective Eyewear - PSNI, Parcelforce members and even those in the military will still need to wear protective eyewear for the first month post-op. This prevents any additional injuries to the eye.
3. Sunglass Use - All individuals should wear sunglasses post-op for at least a year. Bright sunshine can actually scar the eye and affect your laser eye surgery.
4. Recovery - An office worker can return to the job within two days post-op. Fire brigade, military, and PSNI members can return in two days, but on light duty. They may need to avoid physical contact or rigorous activity for up to two weeks, but their surgeon can guide them better with specific instructions. For members in the Parcelforce, the two day recovery is all that is required.
To learn more about how you can improve your vision and better your career, meet with the surgeons at Optilase for a free consultation. We can assess your vision and see if you are a candidate for laser eye surgery. Fill out an online enquiry form to get started or to ask us a question.
