Study finds viagra can cause irreversible damage to color vision



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Washington: An innovative study suggests that high doses of Viagra – a popular erectile dysfunction drug – can irreversibly damage a person's color vision.

Researchers at the Mount Sinai Health System in the United States based their study on a 31-year-old patient who arrived at an emergency clinic complaining of a glowing vision to both eyes that did not fit. Was not extinct in two days.

He reported that his symptoms started shortly after taking a dose of liquid sildenafil citrate, sold under the brand name Viagra.
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Sildenafil citrate can cause eye problems when the dosage is normal, but symptoms usually go away within 24 hours. The patient told the doctors that he had consumed a lot more than the recommended dose of 50 mg and that the symptoms had started shortly after ingestion.
The patient was then diagnosed with persistent retinal toxicity related to the high dose of drug that damaged the external retina. Her tinted vision did not improve more than a year after her initial diagnosis, despite various treatments.

The researchers examined his retina for evidence of structural damage at the cellular level, something that had never been done before.

They identified microscopic damage to the cones of the retina, the cells responsible for color vision. The damage was similar to that observed in animal models of hereditary retinal disease, such as retinitis pigmentosa or conic dystrophy.

"Really seeing this type of structural change was unexpected, but it did explain the patient's symptoms," said Richard Rosen, director of retinal services at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary on Mount Sinai (NYEE). ).

"Although we know that color vision disorders are a well-described side effect of this drug, we have never been able to visualize the structural effect of the drug on the retina until present, "said Rosen.

"Our findings should help physicians become aware of potential cellular changes in patients who may over-use the drug so that they can better inform patients of the risks associated with overuse", he said. he declares.

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