Hyperopia (Farsightedness): What Can You See?
Why blurry vision appears and how to clear it.
Medically reviewed by Bryan M. Wolynski, ODMedically reviewed by Bryan M. Wolynski, OD
Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is a condition in which you can see faraway objects clearly, but have blurry vision for objects that are closer to your face. You may have hyperopia in both eyes or just one. People can correct hyperopia symptoms by wearing glasses or contacts, or getting laser surgery to correct their vision. While farsightedness can run in families, it can also develop without a family history.
Continue reading to learn more about hyperopia, including what it means to be far-sighted and how to correct your vision.
Hyperopia vs. Myopia
Hyperopia is a condition characterized by seeing faraway objects clearly and having blurry vision for close objects. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is characterized by seeing close objects clearly and having blurred vision for far-away objects.
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Hyperopia: Causes and Symptoms
Hyperopia is a refractive error. That means it’s caused by how light moves through the eye. To see clearly, light has to pass through the cornea and lens of the eye and land on the retina, at the back of the eyeball. If you’re farsighted, the light lands behind your retina, rather than on it. That’s what causes close-up objects to be blurry.
Why It Happens
Farsightedness is caused by an issue with the shape of the eye, which causes light to land behind the retina, rather than on it. The common causes are:
An eyeball that is shorter than the norm from front to back
A misshapen cornea
A misshapen lens
Farsightedness runs in families, and there is some genetic risk. However, it’s possible to have farsightedness even if no one in your family has the condition. About 5% to 10% of Americans are farsighted.
How You See
If you are farsighted, you’re able to see objects that are farther away from your face more clearly than objects that are up close. Objects up close are often blurry. This can make reading or using a computer difficult.
Just how closely objects become blurry depends on how farsighted you are. Some people who are severely farsighted have difficulty seeing both objects that are near and far away. Others who have very mild farsightedness might not notice any issues with their vision.
Hyperopia and Age
Babies are born with hyperopia, and most children have some degree of farsightedness. In many cases they don’t notice vision changes, although some children with farsightedness will experience vision changes and be at increased risk for a lazy eye. Unlike other age-related eye conditions, farsightedness often improves as people age. As the eyeball grows, farsightedness usually resolves, but some people will still experience farsightedness as adults.
Eye Exam for Hyperopia
If you are experiencing blurry vision while reading, you might have hyperopia. Other symptoms include:
Eye strain
Squinting
Headaches
If you experience these symptoms, you should get an eye exam. During the exam, an optometrist will dilate your eyes (make the pupils of the eyes bigger with medicated eyedrops) to see how well light is refracted by your eyes. After the exam, they can diagnose you with farsightedness.
Correcting Hyperopia Vision
People who are farsighted can correct their vision by wearing glasses or contact lenses, which work by changing how light is refracted so that it lands on the retina. That results in clearer vision.
Who Is a Candidate for Surgery?
Some people with hyperopia can have their vision surgically corrected. Not everyone who gets surgery will be able to give up glasses or contacts completely, but they might become less reliant on their glasses or contacts.
Appropriate candidates for farsightedness surgery are:
21 years of age or older
Have near or farsightedness
Two surgical options can be used to treat hyperopia:
LASIK and other laser procedures reshape the cornea using a laser. This changes how light refracts through the eye, and can result in clearer vision. These treatments only work for mild cases of farsightedness.
Len replacement surgery removes the natural lenses in your eye and replaces them with artificial lenses.
Can You Skip Treatment?
If you’re an adult, you can skip wearing your contacts or glasses without your vision getting worse. However, you might experience more symptoms like headaches and eye strain, so it’s a good idea to wear your contacts or glasses as much as possible.
Kids with hyperopia should stick to their treatments, wear their glasses regularly, and see an optometrist. Untreated hyperopia can lead to the development of a lazy eye (amblyopia) or additional vision loss. Even if your child doesn’t report blurry vision, seeing an ophthalmologist is important if they are farsighted.
Secondary Hyperopia Risks
Not being able to see clearly can impact your ability to engage with work or school. Reading is often difficult for people who are farsighted. It’s important to treat farsightedness, especially in children.
Summary
Hyperopia, of farsightedness, is a condition that means you’re able to see faraway objects clearly, while objects that are close to you are blurry. This can make it difficult to read or work. Many children are born farsighted and outgrow the condition with age.
However, it’s always important to talk with an eye specialist if you or your child experience blurred vision. Hyperopia can be treated easily with glasses or contacts, while surgical options, including lens replacement or laser surgery, offer a more permanent fix.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
