See here!

Like millions of Americans, I began wearing eyeglasses in elementary school so I could see what was being written on the chalkboard, way up front in the classroom. I also thought it would be handy to be able to see baseballs flying at my face, movies, and the giant dog that knocked me off my bicycle one Saturday afternoon. 

One thing I was able to see that day was stars.

As the years went by, I needed bifocals, and then trifocals, and then cataract surgery, which replaced the lens in my peepers so that I can see almost perfectly at a distance.

So where's that big dog now?

I do need help with small print, and now there is help for those of us in the "over 40" boat.  And above.

Help is on the way! There's an eye drop coming out to solve the problem of age-related blurred near vision.

It's called Vuity. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in October, and it might be just what the eye doctor ordered for some of the 128 million Americans who have trouble seeing close-up.  Just instill one drop in each eye, wait 15 minutes, and you'll have eagle eyes for six to 10 hours, according to the company that makes it.

750 people tested the drug in clinical trials, and Toni Wright was one of them. She liked what she saw (get it?)

Was at time, Ms Wright had to keep cheaters everywhere - in her office, bathroom, kitchen and car - if she was going to read. 

"I was in denial because to me that was a sign of growing older, you know, needing to wear glasses," she said. 

A couple of years ago, her doctor pitched her on this new eye drop. She tried them and liked the result right off.

"I would not need my readers as much, especially on the computer, where I would always need to have them on," she said.

Age-related blurry near vision is known to medicine as presbyopia. This is the first drug to treat the situation by utilizing the eye's natural ability to reduce its pupil size, said Dr. George Waring, the principal investigator for the trial.

"Reducing the pupil size expands the depth of field or the depth of focus, and that allows you to focus at different ranges naturally," he said. And I'm sure we can all agree.

It ain't cheap, as they used to say. For a month's supply of Vuity, you'll shell out 80 clams. And it won't be covered by insurance because it's not "medically necessary."

Side effects among test participants included headaches, red eyes, and wondering where they left their reading glasses.

The manufacturer points out that they don't want you using Vuity when driving at night or "performing activities" in "low-light conditions."

Ahem.