Could eye drops replace reading glasses? Here’s what research shows

Researchers have discovered that special eye drops might help many people ditch their reading glasses as they get older, at least for a while. As we age, almost everyone gets presbyopia, that’s when it’s hard to focus on close-up things, like reading or using your phone, and most people rely on reading glasses to fix it.

Here’s the big news: A large two-year study showed that these eye drops, used two or three times a day, improved people’s ability to read small print without glasses. Most people in the study could read two or more extra lines on the standard eye chart (the Jaeger chart) after using the drops, and nearly all of them kept this better vision for up to two years.



The findings of the study has been published in the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).

The drops themselves combine two ingredients:

Pilocarpine: This makes your pupil smaller and helps your eye focus on close things.

Diclofenac: This is an anti-inflammatory that helps prevent the irritation some people get from pilocarpine.

People usually used the drops twice a day, but could add a third dose if needed. Different strengths of the drops worked better depending on how bad someone’s presbyopia was, milder cases did best with the lowest dose, while those with more severe reading problems needed stronger drops for the best results.

Importantly, the side effects were mostly mild, temporary dim vision, slight irritation, or a mild headache. Serious side effects like retinal issues were rare, but experts say long-term, bigger studies are needed just to be sure the drops are totally safe for everyone.

These drops might give lots of people a break from reading glasses, especially those who don’t want surgery or just want something simple and non-invasive. They’re not a cure, and won’t work for every single person, but they’re a promising new option for managing age-related near vision problems—pending more research.