You can still play lawn bowling after cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is undoubtedly a life-changing opportunity for its patients to regain a clearer vision.
However, now that you may be in your post-operative period, you could be asking how soon can I go back to my normal day-to-day activities. Especially those that are active or recreational.
Light physical activity can resume 2-3 weeks after the operation. This rest time is needed to help stabilize vision, as vision may fluctuate during the first few weeks postoperatively.
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Two to three weeks can be a long time to wait to resume life back to normal, but it’s for a good reason. This post-operative period protects vision and ensures that the eyes heal appropriately before adding any excess strain. Lawn bowling requires heavy concentration. It also may cause extra stress on vision and requires interaction with unpredictable or uncontrolled environments.
What Aspects Of Lawn Bowling May Be Affected By Cataract Surgery?
Cataract surgery is one of the most sensitive operations, with some of the most advanced technology we have in the health industry today. With a sport like lawn bowling, it is necessary to grasp an understanding of depth perception and distance. This allows the player throwing the ball to assess the environment accurately and gauge the angle to throw the ball.
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Here are some other factors of cataract surgery that may affect the sport of lawn bowling:
Understanding the Biased Ball
The main objective of lawn bowling is to use a biased ball. This is a unique ball that isn’t necessarily round as you would see a baseball or basketball. Instead, it curves due to its unsymmetrical nature. The player must interpret their position and purposefully roll the ball in an outwards manner. This allows a proper angle so that the ball hits its desired target accordingly.
This Sport is Played Almost Exclusively Outside
This is an issue with cataract surgery. The eyes are still susceptible to bright light and other hazards. It’s advisable to avoid activities where dirt or dust can kick up into the eyes. If unable to prevent these scenarios, use protective goggles as glasses do not provide enough protection. Foreign particles can still irritate the eyes.
Strenuous Activity Could Cause Harm Post-Op
Although lawn bowling may seem like a light activity, it could quickly become a more massive undertaking than expected due to its outdoor nature. Either through longer than anticipated walks, more time spent outside, and the potential risk of injury in an uncontrolled environment
Generally, the playing spaces of lawn bowling are flat. However, there are still areas of potential risk that are very dangerous when recovering from cataract surgery. Until your physician or surgeon gives the okay, it is best to wait it out and not take any chances.
Eye Protection is a Must
As mentioned before, protecting the eyes is an essential component of recovery, especially when considering the environment. When recovering from cataract surgery, it’s also necessary to protect the lenses from UV damage.
Have a discussion with your doctor to see what recommendations they have about sunglasses for your long term health. Also, ask what their expectations for when it is safe to have direct sunlight hit your eyes. Usually, after the post-operative period, doctors ask for UV protection glasses to warn outside for up to a year.
What Are The Objectives of Lawn Bowling?
The main objective is to get the ball as close as possible to ‘the jack,’ a small white ball. Before the game starts, the jack is rolled onto the field to serve as the target. An experienced player will know how to angle the ball to reach the jack, while novices will experience a bit of a learning curve.
To start, the player should step slightly forward. Then, they should bend their legs slightly to roll the ball onto the grass with precision. This will successfully move the ball.
Lawn bowling may appear to be a simplistic game. But, long-time players know that it takes a great deal of focus on body movement and mind. This focus produces an accurate assumption of where the curved ball will turn.
To practice, throw the ball several times on the ground. Note the unsymmetrical differences of the ball’s weight in hand. Recognizing each ball’s distinct differences will help the player understand the behavior of the ball when rolled.
The scoring system varies for each tournament of lawn bowling. Typically played between 2-4 players or singles, the target number for shots is just under 25 shots. Each set is about nine ends when playing professionally. The competitor with the highest amount of shots wins. If playing in teams, the teams may consist of two to four players, alternating.
