Hyperopia (Farsightedness)

Hyperopia (Farsightedness) Related Information:

A person with hyperopia is able to see objects at a distance, but has trouble with objects up close, such as books or newspapers. You may not be diagnosed with hyperopia without a complete eye exam.

Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is a common vision condition in which distant objects are usually viewed clearly, but near objects are not brought into proper focus. Farsighted individuals involuntarily exert an extra effort to maintain clear distance vision and an even greater effort to clearly view close objects. This excessive use of the eye's own focusing ability can cause eye strain, tension, headaches, fatigue, and overall discomfort. With normal vision, or emmetropia, objects are brought into sharp focus directly on the back surface of your eye, which is the retina. When this occurs, you see objects clearly.

With farsightedness, or hyperopia, objects are brought into focus behind the retina. This is due to an eyeball which is too short for its optical components or underpowered. When this occurs, objects that you see will appear blurred.

Farsightedness occurs if your eyeball is too short or the cornea has too little curvature, so light entering your eye is not focused correctly. The cornea and lens work together to focus images from the visual world in the back of your eye (the retina). If an image is out of focus, it is typically because the overall shape of your eye is incorrect or the cornea does not have the proper curvature.

Farsightedness or hyperopia occurs when your eye is too small or its cornea is too flat. When this happens, visual images are focused behind your retina. It is a focusing defect in which an eye is underpowered. Thus light rays coming from a distant object strike your retina before coming to a sharp focus. A condition of the eye that most commonly results in blurred close vision, although moderate to severe hyperopia may also result in blurred distance vision. The cornea and lens focus light rays from objects behind, rather than directly on your retina. Corrected additional optical power may be supplied by a plus lens (spectacle or contact) or by excessive use of your eye's own focusing ability (accommodation).

Detection signs of farsightedness include difficulty in concentrating and maintaining a clear focus on near objects, eye strain, fatigue or headaches after close work, aching or burning eyes, irritability or nervousness after sustained concentration. Common vision screenings, often done in schools, are generally ineffective in detecting farsightedness. A comprehensive optometric examination will include testing for farsightedness.

In mild cases of farsightedness, your eyes may be able to compensate without corrective lenses. In other cases, your optometrist can prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses to optically correct farsightedness by altering the way the light enters your eyes. Symptoms of hyperopia include: blurred vision of close objects, eye strain, aching eyes and headaches.

Eyeglasses are, of course, the classic way to correct your vision problems. They've been helping vision problems since the 13th century. Contact lenses are another choice. They are delicately crafted, very thin optical discs generally smaller than a dime, worn directly on your eye. They are comfortably held in place by a natural layer of tears present between the contact lens and your cornea. Contacts eliminate the barriers encountered with spectacles that interfere with the line of sight above, below and to the sides of your eye, offering you an outstanding peripheral vision. In addition, contacts can reduce or eliminate the image distortion sometimes caused by eyeglasses.