Eye Drops to Improve Vision

I am sure that many of you have seen the advertisements regarding new Vuity eye drops on the market that can improve vision. So, I wanted to take a moment to explain what’s the story with these eye drops. 

I think a more accurate, simple description of the Vuity drops is they could replace reading glasses. 

Patients who are a good candidate for these drops are those who need reading glasses. The best candidate is someone who has “perfect” distance vision and only needs help with reading. Patients who need distance as well as reading glasses could also be candidates, but they would still need to wear distance glasses as well as use the drops. Another case when these drops could be helpful would be for patients who want to wear contact lenses for distance and then put in the eye drops to see at near. 

The way the drops work is they constrict your pupils, working in the same way as a pinhole camera. In other words, the constricted pupil allows only parallel light to enter the eye, reducing scattered light from causing blur. The constricted pupil also increases the focal length of the eye, allowing for a greater range of clear vision. If you want to learn more about how a pinhole camera works, this is a pretty good video: https://youtu.be/jhBC39xZVnw

The way you would use the drops is you would put them in your eyes in the morning, and after they constrict your pupils, you should be able to see at near. The drops wear off after about 6-8 hours, in which case they need to be reapplied. However, I do discourage re-application too late in the day because otherwise your eyes would be constricted at night, and then it would be very hard to see without enough light. 2:00 pm is about the latest I’d recommend re-applying the drops. As with a new glasses prescription, it can take time to get used to seeing with the Vuity drops. 

If you are interested in learning more about the Vuity drops please do not hesitate to call our office at 805-486-3585 to schedule an appointment.