LASIK surgery corrects vision by reshaping the cornea, offering many people freedom from glasses and contact lenses. The procedure is quick, but the period immediately following requires disciplined post-operative care. A common question is whether patients can cry during recovery. While the tears themselves are not harmful, the associated actions of crying—specifically touching or rubbing the eyes—are highly discouraged.
Understanding Post-Operative Tearing Versus Emotional Crying
The eyes often produce tears in the hours and days immediately after surgery, a response called reflex tearing. This lacrimation occurs due to irritation, light sensitivity, or dry eye sensations common after the procedure. Reflex tears are thin, watery, and act as a natural lubricant and cleanser for the healing cornea.
Emotional crying, however, produces a different composition of tears and often involves muscle strain from sobbing and the involuntary urge to wipe the eyes. The tears themselves do not damage the newly reshaped tissue or the corneal flap. The concern lies entirely with the mechanical stress and the high risk of contamination that emotional crying introduces.
The Primary Risks of Crying in Early Recovery
The main danger from emotional crying is not the tear fluid, but the instinct to touch or rub the eyes to clear the tears. During LASIK, a thin flap is created on the cornea and then repositioned. In the first 24 to 48 hours, this flap is held in place only by natural adhesion before the healing process begins to secure it. Rubbing the eye, even gently, can easily cause micro-wrinkles or shifts in this flap, a complication known as flap dislocation.
The increased muscle tension from forceful crying or sobbing can also raise intraocular pressure, which puts strain on the delicate corneal structures. Furthermore, the act of wiping tears away often introduces contaminants from hands or unclean tissues directly onto the healing surface. Introducing bacteria significantly increases the risk of infection in the early post-operative period.
Establishing a Safe Timeline for Crying
The initial 4 to 6 hours immediately following the procedure represent the period of absolute caution, as the flap is most unstable during this time. After the first 24 hours, the flap has usually adhered well enough that the risk of spontaneous dislocation is dramatically reduced, though rubbing the eyes remains strictly forbidden.
The first week of recovery is when the surface cells of the cornea fully begin to heal around the flap’s edges, making the structure progressively more stable. Most surgeons advise avoiding all contact, pressure, and rubbing for at least one to two weeks. By the one-month mark, most restrictions are lifted, and the tissues are generally considered stable enough that occasional, gentle emotional crying will not pose a structural threat to the cornea.
What to Do If You Cry Accidentally
If you experience an accidental episode of emotional crying during the restricted recovery period, the most important action is to maintain control and absolutely avoid touching the eyes. You should not rub, wipe, or apply any pressure to the eyeball or the eyelid. The tears should be allowed to run freely down the face.
The fluid can be gently absorbed by dabbing a clean, lint-free tissue or sterile gauze to the cheekbone, well away from the eye itself. Following the episode, immediately administer the prescribed lubricating eye drops to help flush the eye’s surface and restore its moisture balance. If you experience any sudden change in vision, increased pain, or discomfort after a crying episode, contact your eye surgeon immediately for an examination.