It sounds too good to be true: a new kind of eye drop that could make your reading glasses obsolete. Do they really work? Learn what you need to know about Vuity eye drops so you can decide if they’re right for you.
What You Need to Know About Vuity Eye Drops
If you’re in your mid-thirties or older, you’re probably well-acquainted with the ways your eyes change as you age. One of the most frustrating vision changes that accompanies this process is trouble reading smaller text. Most of us adjust to this with bifocals, reading glasses, and cranking up the size of the text on our computers and smart phones.
But what if there’s a better solution? Back in December of 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Vuity, the first prescription eye drop to treat age-related farsightedness. But what is it?
How Does Vuity Work?
While Vuity eye drops are new, they’re based on an existing glaucoma medication that doctors have been prescribing for years. One of the reasons that eye issues accompany aging is that our lenses become more rigid as we age. This can make it difficult for our eyes to focus on things that are close up. When a person applies Vuity eye drops, their pupils will shrink, limiting the amount of light that hits the optic nerve. This allows the eyes to focus on smaller details, and things that are closer.
Vuity is a new medication, so there isn’t a lot of anecdotal information about people’s experience using it. However, the data from clinical trials is extremely promising. Vuity eye drops can improve near vision without affecting distant vision, and patients see significant improvements in their near vision in as little as 15 minutes. The effects can last for up to six hours.
The most important thing to know about Vuity eye drops are that they are not meant to replace other treatments for age-related farsightedness. In other words, it’s not time to toss those reading glasses just yet. However, this medication is still a promising new tool in the fight against age-related eye issues.
What Else Do I Need to Know?
If you hate the hassle of reading glasses, Vuity may sound too good to be true. There are pros and cons potential patients should consider:
- Vuity eye drops are ideal for patients between 40 and 55 years of age. They are not currently not recommended for older individuals or those with serious age-related eye issues.
- Because Vuity restricts the amount of light pupils can process, it is not recommended that a patient uses it while driving at night. People who use Vuity eye drops should also be cautious when using machinery. Vuity users should not drive until they are used to how the medication affects their vision.
- The most common side effects of Vuity eye drops are headaches and eye redness. Vuity can also be stopped if patients experience adverse effects without any kind of withdrawal period or other issues, so trying it is relatively low-risk for most patients.
- Vuity is safe to use with contact lenses, as well as other prescription eye drops. If you have other eye conditions, you should talk to your optometrist about whether Vuity is the right option for you.
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Vuity eye drops are the latest tool in your optometrist’s arsenal, but they aren’t the only one. If you’re struggling with age-related farsightedness, talk to your optometrist about what you can do to solve it.
Since 1975, the Heffington family has been assisting the Springfield community with top-quality eye care and affordable eyeglasses and contacts. To learn more about our products and services, please get in touch with us online, send an email to [email protected], or give us a call at 417-869-3937 (Optiland location) or 417-882-3937 (House of Vision location). We look forward to hearing from you!