Four Tips For Getting Used To Your Prosthetic Eye

If you have lost an eye, you may be excited at the prospect of finally getting a prosthetic eye. At last, people will look at you and not question why you're wearing an eye patch or why you only have one eye! But while prosthetic eyes can be life-changing for those who have lost an eye, getting used to the prosthesis is not always as easy as you might assume. Here are a few tips to follow during your first few weeks with a false eye.

Wait through the pain.

When you've been missing an eye for a while, your body is not used to stimulation within the eye socket. So, when you first put the prosthesis in place, it will be uncomfortable. Some patients remove the eye when they feel this discomfort, but that is a mistake. You really need to wait through the discomfort and bear with it. Within a minute or two, the discomfort will fade as the nerves adapt to the stimulation.

As you continue wearing your false eye more often, this pain response will start fading away faster. Soon, you won't feel any pain at all when you put the eye in your socket.

Distract yourself from playing with the eye.

During your first weeks wearing the prosthesis, you will be very aware of its presence. You may be tempted to play with it or rub the eye socket. But this can cause irritation that will only make adapting to the prosthetic eye take longer. Bring something like a stress ball or silly putty with you during the day, and play with it to keep your hands occupied.

Bring your eye patch.

As much as you want to get away from wearing your eye patch, there may be times, during your first weeks with the prosthesis, that it becomes too uncomfortable for you to concentrate on your work or social interactions. So, always bring along your eye patch. This way, if needed, you can remove the false eye and put your patch on partway through the day. Your first few days wearing the eye in public, you probably won't want to wear it all day, anyways.

Give your doctor feedback.

Usually, after you've been fitted for a prosthetic eye, you will have a checkup with your doctor a week or two into the wearing period. During this appointment, be honest with your doctor about any challenges you have with the eye or any areas where it is uncomfortable. This way, your doctor can give you feedback to enhance your comfort.

If you have further questions, contact an artificial eye clinic.