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Far Sightedness (Hyperopia)
Hyperopia, also commonly known as farsightedness or longsightedness, is a refractive defect in vision caused by imperfections in the eye. Focusing on near objects becomes difficult because the eye’s lens cannot become round enough or the eyeball itself is too short. In order to keep focus on objects moving toward the eye, the optical power of the lens and cornea must increase to keep the object from blurring. If the eye’s optical power is insufficient, as in the case of hyperopia, the image of the object will appear blurred because light will focus at a point beyond the eye’s retina. In many cases hyperopia goes undiagnosed until later in life because the internal lens of a young eye often contracts to compensate for far sightedness.
The most common symptom of hyperopia is trouble focusing on nearby objects while distant objects appear normal, however, in some cases both near and distant vision is blurry. This condition is typically hereditarily passed on and involves a flat cornea or an eye that is too short.
A complete eye exam is often necessary for a correct diagnosis of hyperopia. Your eye doctor will conduct a refractive evaluation, a visual acuity test, and will test eye coordination along with muscle control, as these are all important variables in the eye’s ability to see. Not all of these tests are given in school screenings so it is important for children to see an eye doctor for a complete test.
While minor levels of hyperopia are sometimes left uncorrected, eye doctors usually recommend eyeglass prescriptions, contact lenses, or one of a number of corrective vision surgeries that significantly reduce or eliminate hyperopia.