Regular use of viagra, used to treat erectile dysfunction, can harm your vision and cause you to go blind, a study has found. Researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada have found that people who regularly take the common erectile dysfunction pill may be at increased risk of sudden vision loss, flashes and dark spots, Daily Mail reported. . The reason may be increased blood flow to the genitals which could impede its supply to the eyes, the researchers said. The team also named other impotence drugs – Cialis, Levitra and Spedra – as potential triggers for eye problems.
Regular users of impotence pills are 85% more likely to develop serious vision problems, the study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found.
“These are rare conditions, and the risk of developing one remains very low for any individual user. However, the large number of prescriptions issued each month in the United States – around 20 million – means that a significant number of people could be affected,” said lead researcher Dr Mahyar Etminan, an ophthalmologist at the university.
“Regular users who notice changes in their vision should take it seriously and seek medical attention,” he suggested.
In the study, the team analyzed the insurance claim records of 213,033 men using ED pills: 123,347 men were taking sildenafil – Pfizer’s brand drug Viagra, 78,609 were taking tadalafil (Cialis ); 6,604 were taking vardenafil (Levitra) and 4,473 were taking avanfil (Spedra), according to the report.
The team tracked claim cases from 2006 to 2020 to see which ones went on to develop eye conditions. None of the men had suffered from eye problems in the year prior to their regular use of the drug.
They found that taking one of the drugs regularly was 158% more likely to cause severe retinal detachment. It occurs when a buildup of fluid builds up behind the back of the eye and causes sudden spots in the field of vision and flashes of light.
Men were 102% more likely to suffer from ischemic optic neuropathy – a compromised blood supply to the optic nerve. The condition causes loss of central vision. And they were 44% more likely to develop retinal vascular occlusion – a type of blood clot in the retina. Those affected suffer from sudden loss of vision and dark spots or “floaters” in their vision, according to the report.
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