Viagra is one of the most well-known erectile dysfunction drugs in the world. Due to its popularity and effectiveness, it has become a term in common parlance for potency-enhancing meds. Sildenafil, marketed under the brand name Viagra, was originally developed as a remedy to lower blood pressure. But in the course of clinical studies, it turned out that he is able to increase potency. Thanks to this unexpected property, he was included in the list of 18 random discoveries that changed the world.
Safety of Viagra and Possible Adverse Effects
A lot of studies have been carried out regarding Viagra, which explain the mechanism of action of sildenafil, its effect on the body, side effects. If you do not overdose on this remedy, consult a doctor in advance, then you can provide yourself with vivid sexual sensations, while not worsening your health. In the case of Viagra, the statement ‘the more the better’ does not work. Uncontrolled intake of the drug in doses that exceed the recommended ones can lead to the occurrence and increase in the severity and duration of the course of side effects. The most common ones include headaches, back pain, and cardiovascular system disorders.
Usually the drug is well tolerated, copes with its task, and if side effects appear, they are not long-lasting and go away by themselves.
What are the Types of Visual Impairment?
The interest of scientists has been aroused by the fact that some patients during the use of Viagra experienced side effects associated with vision, including photophobia, deterioration of vision clarity, and changes in color perception.
In the scientific literature of many countries, various cases and their course are described.
Ophthalmologist Cuneyt Karaarslan described his observations in Turkey. In his practice, there were at least 17 patients who came to him with complaints of deterioration in vision clarity, photophobia, color distortion (when the blue color seemed brighter, while red and green looked different). As a result of interviewing the victims and collecting anamnesis, it turned out that each of these men had taken the maximum dose (100 mg) of Viagra the day before, some for the first time. Visual impairment occurred almost immediately after taking the medication and lasted up to 3 days, sometimes longer.
Similar cases have been observed by Dr. Richard Rosen, director of retinal disease research in Mount Sinai. Here is one of them: a 31-year-old man approached him with complaints that for two days he had seen everything in a red tint. The patient reported that he had taken a large dose of sildenafil before his vision deteriorated. In his case, the condition did not improve even after a year of treatment.
Why Does Vision Suffer?
Investigating the mechanism of action of Viagra, scientists came to the conclusion that color perception problems appear due to damage to the retina at the cellular level, when sildenafil mistakenly (non-specifically) acts on PDE6. Also, the effect on vision occurs when large doses of sildenafil accumulate in the body due to the fact that in some patients the process of disintegration of the drug in the body is longer than usual.
A related topic: Does Viagra Expire?
How to Avoid Unwanted Side Effects?
The availability of information should protect you from the occurrence of side effects associated with vision, which may be due to inappropriate use of the drug. You should remember that treatment should only be started after consulting a doctor. Administration of a dose that is higher than the maximum is hazardous to health. It is best to start with a small dose and not exceed 50 mg of sildenafil per day. If, even adhering to these recommendations, you have a deterioration in vision, then usually in such cases, the side effect disappears within 3 days. A single, and even more so frequent use of large doses of Viagra can cause long-term and sometimes irreversible vision problems.
