Contact A Lawyer
Near You

Contact us today for a complimentary consultation with a qualified attorney near you.

NAION Blindness

The recent claims that Viagra leads to vision loss have come to worry users of the erectile dysfunction drug. With several lawsuits being launched across the country, new studies are showing that NAION blindness is definitely a severe possibility for some Viagra users.

In a study completed in 2005, ophthalmologists at the University of Minnesota say that a condition that causes permanent vision loss has been diagnosed in a small group of men who have taken the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. The condition, non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), described as "stroke of the eye," occurs when blood flow is cut off to the optic nerve, which injures the nerve and results in permanent vision loss.

NAION blindness has been documented effecting seven patients, aged between 50 and 69 years, within 36 hours after ingestion of Viagra for erectile dysfunction. Seven similar cases have been previously reported through an additional study involving Viagra and NAION blindness.

Early Viagra trials have previously shown that some men who take Viagra will experience temporary color changes in their vision and see things as blue or green or have other temporary vision changes. However, NAION blindness is a much more serious condition because it can lead to permanent vision loss.

The fourteen patients that developed NAION blindness all had at least one arteriosclerotic risk factor. Those risk factors for NAION blindness can include hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, or hyperlipidemia. All of the patients also had a low cup to disk ratio, which is a way doctors measure the small circular indentation where the optic nerve connects to the eyeball. The low cup to disk ratio means that the blood vessels and nerves are tightly bundled together into the small space in the back of the eye.

Viagra works by regulating a chemical in the body that constricts the arteries. This constriction may cut off the blood flow to the optic nerve, especially in people with a low cup to disk ratio, where the blood vessels and nerves are tightly bundled provoking NAION blindness.

The onset of NAION blindness within hours after ingestion of Viagra in 14 patients supports an association between the use of the drug and NAION. Based on the fact that 14 cases of NAION blindness have now been reported soon after the use of Viagra, the researchers believe that ophthalmologists should ask all men with NAION blindness about the use of Viagra, and recommend that patients with a history of NAION blindness in one eye be cautioned that Viagra may increase the risk of NAION blindness in the other eye.

If you have suffered from NAION blindness from Viagra use you are eligible for a claim against Viagra. Contact an experienced attorney to help you organize and expedite your Viagra claim today.

Contact a Viagra Recall Lawyer

More Viagra Resources

MedLine Plus Drug Information - Guide to prescription and over-the-counter medications provided by the United States Pharmacopeia.

Viagra.com - Official site of Viagra, a product of Pfizer.