The rare side effects of Viagra in focus

Are you one of those who is very much interested in becoming a part of the Viagra revolution and who would not wait to get a prescription before going to buy Viagra online pharmacy? Do you fall into the category of those who is looking to buy Viagra cheap deal, without ascertaining if the drug is actually safe for you?

Are you one of those who is planning on taking on Viagra tablets online because your friend says the pills has made him a stud in bed? Whatever category you belong to, I’d implore you to delay any further decisions you wish to take on Viagra and take the time to go through this exposé.
According to an FDA report of May 27th 2005, Viagra, the world’s most popular erectile dysfunction drug could cause permanent loss of vision. Also reported were the 50 cases of blindness caused by the side effects of the drug.

The side effects of Viagra may be in the form of visual defects from loss of a portion of the visual field to complete blindness. This is known as Non-arteritic Ischaemic Optic Neuropathy, NAION, a condition that is said to affect 1 to 10 in every 100,000 people. Particularly considered to be at risk are patients who have existing blood problems like hypertension or diabetes.

NAION – a stroke of the eye – occurs when there is a spontaneous stroke in the optic nerve, because the small arteries are not getting enough blood supply. According to medical statistics, about 10 to 20 percent of people who experience NIAON in one eye would later experience it in the other.

It’s possible vision could spontaneously improve in approximately 40 percent of NAION cases, but would almost certainly not return to normal. Till date, no treatment has been found for NAION. People whose optic nerve portions are abnormally big are prone to NAION and are advised to consult with a doctor before using Viagra or any other ED treatment like Levitra and Cialis.

Diabetic patients who use Viagra are also at a high risk of developing serious Viagra-related vision side effects. Though yet to be confirmed, other ED drugs like Cialis and Levitra are believed to be able to impair the visions of their users or even cause permanent blindness.

The United States Food and Drug Administration on the 18th of October, 2007 approved changes in the labeling of the three ED drugs, i.e. Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, to prominently display the risk of sudden hearing loss by using the drugs and educate consumers on what to do when they suddenly start experiencing hearing problems.

Also included in the labeling changes by the FDA is a drug known as Revatio, also a member of the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE 5) class. Revatio is a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a medical condition that involves the weakening of the heart muscles as a result of perpetual high blood pressure in the lungs arteries. PAH is a serious condition which frequently leads to heart failure and death.

Because a small number of patients who used PDE 5 inhibitors reported sudden loss of hearing, sometimes accompanied by dizziness and ringing in their ears, manufacturers of these drugs have been asked by the FDA to revise the labeling of their products.

According to Janet Woodcock, FDA’s deputy commissioner for scientific and medical programs, some patient’s on PDE 5 inhibitors, because of the association of some level of hearing loss with the ageing process, might not think to discuss this problem with their doctors.

Patients who experience hearing loss when using Viagra, Cialis and Levitra should discontinue using these drugs and seek medical attention promptly. Patients using Revatio who experience hearing loss should continue using the drug but see a doctor.