By Dr. Pilar Nano, ophthalmologist (MN 122.454)
For decades, the approach to presbyopia was practically set in stone: reading glasses increasingly present throughout the day or surgical interventions for those seeking a more definitive solution. In the consultation, for years, the options were those and few others. Today this scheme is beginning to expand with the arrival of pharmacological treatments in drops that allow tired eyes to be managed in a more flexible way.
Presbyopia is a natural age-related process that reduces the ability to focus up close. It usually begins to manifest itself around age 40 and progresses over time. Many people go through an initial stage in which they need visual assistance only at certain times: to read, use a cell phone, work with screens or perform precision tasks. That is precisely where new therapeutic alternatives open up a different scenario.
Not depending on glasses all day, combining them according to the moment and gaining practicality in the daily routine is today a frequent demand among active patients, with mild or moderate presbyopia. In this context, drop treatments provide an additional tool that can be used strategically.
Currently, in Argentina we have a pharmacological treatment in drops approved for the management of presbyopia in the initial stages. This is Nearlea, a therapy that does not seek to completely replace glasses, but rather integrate into the daily routine according to the visual needs of each person. In practice, many patients use the drops to work, read, use screens or perform tasks that require close vision, and combine their use with lenses at other times of the day.
One of the changes most valued by those who use this type of treatment is the possibility of reducing permanent dependence on glasses. For those who are just beginning to navigate presbyopia, this alternative offers greater flexibility: choosing when they need correction to see up close without having to constantly put on and take off their glasses.
This approach is especially useful in adults between 40 and 55 years old, who are active at work and have a high demand for near vision. These are people who are beginning to notice difficulty focusing, but who still do not want to incorporate glasses as a permanent fixture in their daily lives.
An important point is that it is not an exclusive choice. Drops and glasses can be combined depending on the activity, context and visual demand. This adaptable model marks a change in the way presbyopia is managed: we no longer think about a single rigid solution, but rather about personalized strategies.
From a pharmacological point of view, Nearlea contains 1.25% pilocarpine hydrochloride, an active ingredient that acts at the ocular level, improving the ability to focus closely. Its application is simple: one drop per day in each eye, with an onset of action that occurs between 15 and 30 minutes and an effect that can last between 6 and 8 hours. Well indicated, it allows you to improve close vision without affecting distance vision.
Like all medical treatment, it requires ophthalmological evaluation and follow-up. Not all patients are candidates and the answer depends on the degree of presbyopia and individual characteristics. Adequate indication and professional control are key to achieving good results and avoiding incorrect expectations.
The arrival of these drops does not eliminate glasses, but it does change the way we live with them. Presbyopia no longer has a single answer and begins to be managed in a more personalized way. More than a change in product, we are facing a change in concept: recovering practicality, adding flexibility and adapting the solution to the lifestyle of each patient.
