Newly FDA-Approved Eye-Drops Could Replace Reading Glasses

Chuck your reading glasses in the garbage bin, because there’s a new eye-drop in town and it could completely replace the need for those clunky constant tag-alongs you can’t ever seem to find. (Hint: they’re on top of your head)

Okay, okay, maybe slow down a minute and let’s get into the nitty gritty of this fascinating new eye-drop before we go defenestrating (yeet!) our old readers.

First of all, what am I talking about? I’m talking about Vuity. Vuity is the first and only FDA-approved eye drop for treating blurry near vision. This is a pretty huge deal.

How does it work? The drop makes your pupil constrict, blessing you with up to 6 hours of improved clarity! That’s almost a whole work-day of no glasses-related headaches OR headaches from eyestrain. Sounds pretty good to me!

Who does it work for? Primarily, the eye-drops work for people who have age-related blurry near-vision. This doesn’t mean “people who are super old!” it’s more like… people who didn’t need glasses growing up, but now have a hard time reading close-up things like menus or books. The age-group that this is most relevant for is those between age 40 and 55. It’s also worth noting that about 1/2 of all people in the United States are, or will be, affected by age-related blurred near vision.

What are people saying?

“It’s definitely a life changer,”

Toni Wright, (one of the 750 participants in a clinical trial to test the drops.)

In general, feedback from the group of people testing the drops is good news- with folks being able to read THREE additional lines on a reading chart just fifteen minutes after administering the drops.

Are there any drawbacks? Of course, nothing in life is 100 percent perfect. There are a few drawbacks to this newly approved advancement.

First, there are some side-effects that were detected during the three month trial- headaches, red eyes, and some difficulty adjusting focus between near and far objects. From what we know about how the drops work, that makes plenty of sense to me!

There’s also the price of the drops- about $80 a month if you’re planning to use them every day. Definitely more expensive than reading glasses, unless you’re super into designer-only frames.

On top of that, the drops have to be prescribed by a physician and they are not currently covered by insurance. There’s always the hope that as more and more people get into this new vision sharpening drop, the price may drop and insurance companies may consider them for certain patients. Here’s hoping!

Finally, though more of a side-note, we know that glasses-wearers are less likely to get COVID-19 than those who do not wear glasses. So while we all may want to jump on the eye-drop train, it may make more sense to hold off until the pandemic situation is a little more under control. But that piece is down to personal choice.

 

What do you think about these new drops? Would you ever try them? Fun bonus question: what is the weirdest place you’ve ever found your lost reading glasses? Mine were nestled in a pile of sweaters.