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How to read after a cataract surgery with text to speech

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If you’re planning to have cataract surgery, you won’t be able to read for a few days. This is where text to speech tools, like Speechify, can help you.

If you have cataract surgery to improve your eye health, your vision will be blurry for a brief period. For this reason, you won’t be able to perform normal activities for a while like reading or driving at night. Since you won’t be able to read right after your cataract surgery, you might benefit from a text to speech tool.

What are cataracts?

Cataracts result from the clouding of the lenses in the eye, which leads to blurry vision and even vision loss.  It can happen to one or both eyes, but it can’t spread from one eye to the other. Cataracts can even form on different parts of the lens. For instance, it can appear on the eye center, back, or edges of your lenses.

Common symptoms of cataracts include light sensitivity (especially to bright lights), double vision, blurred vision, faded colors, bad night vision, and seeing halos around light. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you’ll need to go to an eye doctor for an eye exam.

Some risk factors that can lead to cataracts include smoking, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, excessive exposure to sunlight, previous eye surgery, and aging. In fact, age-related cataracts are quite common, and it usually occurs in individuals who are 80 and older.

The only way to treat this eye condition is with surgery. There are no eye drops or over-the-counter medications that can cure or reduce the effects of cataracts. That being said, if your ophthalmologist catches it early, you might not be required to go through the surgical procedure immediately. Instead, your eye doctor might suggest periodic follow-up appointments to monitor your cataracts.

How does cataract surgery work?

Cataract surgery is usually the best solution when this eye condition starts to impact your vision to such an extent that you can’t complete daily activities, which reduces your quality of life. If your ophthalmologist tells you that you need surgery, this is how it will work.

This surgical procedure includes removing your natural lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. The operated eye will receive an intraocular lens (IOL), such as a monofocal or a multifocal lens. Usually, monofocal lenses are used, which have a single point of focus that can be adjusted for distance vision or near vision. You can also choose multifocal lenses if you go to a private ophthalmologist.

Keep in mind that this Lasik surgery comes with some risks, including infection, inflammation, swelling, detached retina, and bleeding. If you have other vision problems and eye conditions, like glaucoma or macular degeneration, you are at a greater risk of these side effects.

Another complication is a loss of vision, but this only happens in one in 50 cases. If this happens, your eye doctor can suggest a laser capsulotomy, which is a follow-up procedure that will restore your field of vision after cataract surgery.

How does cataract surgery affect reading?

The recovery process after a cataract surgery lasts two to six weeks. Some patients might even go through a 10-week recovery process. During the recovery time, you won’t be able to do normal activities like reading and watching TV for a few days because you’ll have blurry vision. You still might need to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses for reading. After a few days, the lens of the eye will heal, and you’ll be able to read.

Text to speech - An easier way to read after cataract surgery

After this Lasik surgical procedure, you won’t be able to read for a few days. You can use a text to speech (TTS) tool until your reading ability is restored. Text to speech technology reads digital texts out loud. It’s an accessibility tool for individuals with low vision, partially sighted individuals, and those recovering from eye surgery.

If you have an eye condition that is affecting your vision, TTS can help you in various ways:

  • A text to speech tool will make your cataract surgery recovery process much easier.
  • You will be able to perform daily activities and enjoy your hobbies, like reading books or newspapers.
  • TTS tools assist you in reading any written material by translating it into spoken language.
  • You can choose between different TTS tools, like TTS apps, built-in features, or web-based platforms.

The best TTS tool you can use after your surgery is Speechify.

Speechify - The text to speech software that helps you read after cataract surgery

If you had cataract surgery and you want to read during the recovery process, Speechify can help you. Speechify is an all-in-one text to speech platform that turns any written text into spoken words. It can even convert physical text from books and documents into spoken language with its OCR technology.

You can even use Speechify’s online TTS tool for free to see how it works. You’ll be able to choose from different voices, languages, and accents to elevate your reading experience.

Try Speechify for free today.

FAQ

Why can't I read after cataract surgery?

The operated eye needs time to recover after this surgery. But don’t worry, your eyes will recover after a few days.

How long does it take for the lens to settle after cataract surgery?

If you had cataract surgery, you’ll have to wait a few days before your vision starts to improve. If you want to read after the surgery, you can use a TTS tool like Speechify.

How do you open your eyes after cataract surgery?

After the surgery, you might have to wear an eye shield or a pad, which you can remove one day after the surgery. Your vision will return after a couple of hours, but you won’t be able to read yet.

Will I know what I am reading after cataract surgery?

When you come home from the hospital, you’ll have blurry vision, so you won’t be able to tell what you’re reading.

What are the risks of cataract surgery?

Cataract surgery comes with some risks, though they are uncommon. These risks include infection, swelling, inflammation, bleeding, etc. If you have another eye disorder or serious health condition, you are more prone to these surgery complications.

What are the types of glasses you can wear after cataract surgery?

After this surgical procedure, you might be required to wear glasses. The type of eyeglasses you’ll need to wear depends on your eye health. Your eye doctor will tell you what glasses to get.

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.