If you are over 40, chances are you have noticed some not-so-welcome changes in your vision. Holding your phone further away from your face while texting may have been your first clue. Maybe you started zooming in to read a recipe on your tablet, or you’ve just been squinting more often. You may have started contemplating options for vision correction, like cheater-readers, bifocals, or even surgery.

But now a new, FDA-approved solution has emerged that could be the answer to your reading vision frustrations: and it comes in the form of an… eye drop?

What is happening to my vision?

Before we get into solutions, let’s look at what’s causing the problem. Why are you slowly but surely losing your near vision, even if you’ve never needed glasses and contacts in the past?

As your eye ages, the natural lens which sits behind your pupil to focus light becomes less flexible, so it is harder to accommodate for reading, cooking, sewing, woodworking, texting, and other activities requiring up-close vision. This is called Presbyopia (prez-bee-OH-pee-uh). This is a natural part of aging that everyone will experience. Typically, people start to notice these changes in their vision in their 40’s or 50’s.

Eventually, this will lead to cataracts, or a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, which is removed and replaced during cataract surgery.

Reading vision solutions of the past

Many people find themselves purchasing a few pairs of cheater-readers from the convenience store “just in case.” As your vision continues to worsen, though, you’ll need to buy stronger pairs.

At your annual eye exam, your doctor may have encouraged bifocals. These can be an adjustment as you learn to switch between the top half and bottom half of the lenses to see.

At Chu Vision, we have surgical options for reading correction. In some cases, you can take advantage of monovision LASIK, which means one eye is corrected to see far away while the other is corrected for reading. Not everyone tolerates the difference between the eyes, so your doctor will give you contact lenses to try out monovision before proceeding with a permanent change.

Another option is Custom Lens Replacement (CLR), which provides the crisp, clear vision benefits of cataract surgery without having to wait another 5, 10, 20 years for cataracts to form.

The Newest Reading Vision Solution

As of October 2021, we have added another advanced treatment in our battle against bad reading vision, with the FDA approval of a new eye drop called VUITY. The drop is designed so within 15 minutes of application, it should become easier to see things up close again, without compromising your distance vision. The once-daily drop is your quick and easy solution for aging eyes.

Dr. Ralph Chu, board-certified ophthalmologist, is proud to have participated in the clinical trial for this eye drop.  “This is one of the most exciting developments in ophthalmology in 20 years,” Chu said. He is passionate about giving his patients all the options and bringing the latest technologies to the Twin Cities.

This eye drop is available by prescription only, so schedule an appointment with Chu Vision Institute in Bloomington to see if the Vuity Eye Drop or any of our advanced reading vision treatments are right for you!