Everything you should know about Hyperopia or Farsightedness!

Hyperopia (farsightedness) is a refractive error in which a person can see distant things better than nearby objects. For instance, a person could see a traffic light/billboard, which is far away relatively close, but might not be able to read a newspaper.

Conditions that cause Farsightedness:

Change in the natural structure of the eye causes Farsightedness. It occurs when the cornea becomes too flat. As a result, when light passes through the cornea, it bends and focuses behind the retina creating out of focus images and blurry vision when the eye tries to focus on something.

Hyperopia can be hereditary. Certain medical conditions like small eye syndrome, diabetes, and problems in the blood vessel around the eye can also lead to farsightedness. Babies possess this refractive error by birth since they have tiny eyeballs. However, the degree of hyperopia reduces as the eye develops until the child attains the age of five years. It may remain the same if it is genetic.

Symptoms of Farsightedness:

One of the main symptoms associated with farsightedness is blurred vision while focusing on nearby objects. If a person squints when trying to focus on something close, there are high chances that he/she may be farsighted. Other symptoms include:

• Burning sensation around the eyes
• Eye strain and eye fatigue
• Headache after focusing on something close to the face for quite a long time (like sewing, reading, drawing, etc.)

Farsightedness Treatment:

It’s easy to diagnose farsightedness or hyperopia through a routine eye examination. Doctors often recommend getting a comprehensive eye examination, even if the vision is 20/20.

There are visual aids, such as prescription glasses and contact lenses, to help people with farsightedness see more clearly. These visual aids can alter the way light enters into their eyes, allowing them to focus better. Convex lenses can help restore the vision immediately.

There are other permanent ways to fix the condition – refractive surgeries. Surgeries like LASIK are common alternatives and can eliminate the necessity of spectacles or corrective lenses. LASIK surgery involves the creation of a flap to reshape the cornea.

What do we offer at Centre for Sight?

Here, at Centre for Sight, we have a team of dedicated eye doctors who handle all kinds of cases with refractive errors. Our experts do a thorough examination to diagnose the patient’s eye with accuracy and suggest the most appropriate treatment.

Article: Everything you should know about Hyperopia or Farsightedness!
Author: CFS Editorial Team   |   Dec 26 2020 | UPDATED 12:32 IST

*The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of Centre for Sight.