FDA approved eye drops could improve vision

More than 128 million Americans deal with the hassle of reading glasses.

But now, an eye drop that the FDA approved in October, may allow people to get rid of their reading glasses for good.

As people get older, some may develop presbyopia, which is age-related blurry near vision.

“Most patients tend to report between the ages of 40 and 45,” said Dr. Michael Manning, an ophthalmologist.

Millions of people use over-the-counter reading glasses to treat their presbyopia, but now researchers say an eye drop called Vuity by AbbVie Inc., with the generic name of “pilocarpine hydrochloride” may replace the need for these reading glasses.

The eye drop treats the symptoms of the condition by targeting the eyes’ lens.

“The way they go about this is constricting or making our pupils smaller, which
creates a depth of field effect to give enhanced near vision,” Manning said.

In a trial, participants said the eye drop worked as soon as 15 minutes after it was applied and reached its peak effectiveness in an hour.

However, the eye drop is not a one-time treatment and will have to be applied daily as needed.

Side effects were rare but included headaches, red eyes, blurred vision and some eye pain.