PRK Day 2: Why Today Often Feels Worse

Day 2 is commonly the worst day, or tied with day 3. EyeWiki describes discomfort after PRK peaking around days 2 to 3. That is not a sign something went wrong. The open surface is at its largest exposure of corneal nerve endings, and those nerves are what generate the pain.

Vision often looks no better than yesterday and may look worse. That is expected while the epithelium is still mid regrowth. StatPearls describes blurred vision, light sensitivity, and transient ghosting or glare as common through days 1 to 3.

Stay on the schedule. Keep the room dim, keep sunglasses handy, use preservative free artificial tears if your surgeon approves them, and keep taking pain medicine at the intervals you were given rather than waiting for the pain to spike. If your prescribed and over the counter medicine is not touching the pain, the American Academy of Ophthalmology says to call your ophthalmologist.