AN EYE DROP MAY BE THE CURE FOR “ARMS TOO SHORT”
Imagine if getting rid of reading glasses, progressives or bifocals was as simple as using an eyedrop a couple of times per day. This scenario is exactly what researchers working on a cure for Presbyopia envision.
Presbyopia is the eye condition in which your eye slowly loses the ability to focus quickly on objects that are close. This is the reason why reading becomes more difficult as we become older. Focusing at near requires accommodation, the ability of the lens of the eye to change shape depending on the distance from the object. As we age, the lens becomes more rigid, and the muscles become weaker. Currently, the best solution for this problem is magnification – using reading glasses, progressive lenses, or multifocal contacts.
The new solutions being developed can reduce the use of magnification. One targets the rigidity of the lens using eye drops that soften the lens. The other uses the principle of a pinhole, decreasing the size of the pupil to sharpen vision. This also uses eye drops.
There are currently a number of drugs in development that would accomplish either, if not both, of these effects. There may be a time in the near future that you would be able to golf and record your score, work on the computer, or shop, all without using reading glasses!
– Dr. Michele Naruszewicz, OD
Ref: CEWire2021; Steve Silberberg OD “Will our arms stay too short? Drugs for Presbyopia on the horizon”
