Today, Thursday, in the United States, an eye drop that sings for people with presbyopia - also known as presbyopia - was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved last October.
Here we present the most important data about this drop, emphasizing that this information is for guidance only.
Do not stop using your glasses or use any drops or medication without first checking with your eye doctor.
What is presbyopia?
It is a refractive defect in the eye, in which distant objects are clear, and nearby objects are blurred.
What is the mechanism of presbyopia?
The eye focuses the image behind the retina, not on it.
What causes presbyopia?
The lens of the eye loses its elasticity with age, and the eye muscles responsible for controlling the lens of the eye are affected.
What are the groups prone to presbyopia?
Persons 35 years of age or older.
What is the name of the new drop that was introduced?
The name of the eye drops is "Vuity".
How is Voighty used?
The Voyte eye drops are used once a day, according to a New York Times report by Melinda Wiener Muir.
An alternative to reading glasses
People with presbyopia use glasses to help them read, because reading requires near vision, and they have a problem with it.
For anyone who doesn't want to use reading glasses, these drops may be a really useful alternative, said Dr. Scott M. McCray, an ophthalmologist at the University of Rochester Center for the Science of Vision.
Presbyopia worsens over time.
To focus on nearby objects, the eye's lens must change shape, but it becomes less flexible with age, making this process difficult.
People with presbyopia often find they need to hold a book at arm's length or turn on a bright light to read it, says Dr. George O. Waring, the ophthalmologist who led the clinical trials on Voighty for the drug company Allergan. Eye doctors recommend that presbyopia sufferers wear over-the-counter or prescription reading glasses when they need to see up close, but Voighty may also be an option for them.
How does Voighty drop work?
Voighty improves near vision by reducing the size of the pupil (Pupil).
"It makes the pupil small, which creates what we call the pinhole effect," said University of Pennsylvania ophthalmologist Dr. Stephen Orlin. This way, the amount of ambient light passing through the eye is reduced and can make it difficult to focus.
What is the active ingredient in Voighty?
The active ingredient in Voighty is a drug called pilocarpine, which is not a new drug.
It's actually "one of the oldest drops we have in ophthalmology," Dr. Orlin said.
They have been used for decades to treat glaucoma, a condition in which the optic nerve is damaged.
Although Voighty is the first product of its kind to treat presbyopia, at least nine products similar to eye drops are in clinical development for presbyopia and may be available in the future, Dr. Waring said.
What's the advantage of Voighty drops over reading glasses?
The advantage of Voighty over reading glasses is that they do not affect far vision while they are in use.
Usually, when a person stops reading to do something else, they need to remove their reading glasses to properly see their surroundings.
"That's the good part about it, the drops don't really affect distance vision under normal daytime conditions," Dr. McCray said.
Dr. McRae also noted that Voighty would work best for people with mild to moderate presbyopia, which likely means people aged 45 to 55.
Older individuals with more severe presbyopia may find that eye drops do not improve their near vision enough to make a difference.
Is Voeti suitable for people with farsightedness?
No.
Here it must be emphasized that farsightedness (hyperopia) is a condition different from presbyopia.
The Cleveland Clinic says that farsightedness (hyperopia) is often confused with presbyopia, but the two are different.
Presbyopia occurs when the lens of the eye loses flexibility.
On the other hand, farsightedness occurs when the eyeball is too short.
This results in an under-focused image that requires the assistance of the lens to refocus.
Farsightedness usually affects young children.
Are there side effects?
About 15% of the people who used Voighty reported mild headaches, compared to 7% of those who used the placebo drops.
Up to 5% of those who used Voighty reported other side effects such as eye redness, blurred vision, eye pain, visual impairment, eye irritation and increased tear production.
Dr Waring said: Because the eye drops reduce the size of the pupil, they make it difficult to see in the dark, so they are not recommended for people who drive at night or need to see well in low light for other reasons.
how much does it cost?
Dr. Waring said the drops could cost about $80 for a 30-day supply.