Farsightedness, or hyperopia, is a common refractive error such as myopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia.
Signs and Symptoms of Farsightedness
As the name implies, patients with hyperopia are sighted more for far than they are for things up close. They require extra accommodation or focusing effort to sustain a clear image at near but sometimes can also have blurry distance vision as well. Usual symptoms of hyperopia can include:
- blurry near vision
- difficulty focusing distance to near
- eyestrain with near vision tasks
- headaches with near vision tasks
- eye turning towards the nose
What Causes Farsightedness?
Hyperopia is usually caused by the eye not growing to the proper length. In general, a nearsighted eye is too long and a farsighted eye is too short although the curvature of the front of the eye can also cause these refractive errors. Hyperopia is different from blurry near vision caused by presbyopia in which the eyes crystalline lens can no longer focus for near vision tasks due to age. Higher amounts of hyperopia can also cause an eye to turn in towards the nose which is called strabismus.
How is Farsightedness Diagnosed?
Hyperopia is diagnosed at an eye examination. Your eye doctor will check your distance and near vision and also test your focusing ability.
How is Farsightedness Treated?
The simplest way to treat farsightedness is with glasses which can be worn full-time or part-time, depending on the severity of the symptoms. If glasses are not desirable, there are also many contact lens options to treat hyperopia. LASIK surgery is also an option to treat mild cases of hyperopia. Higher amounts of hyperopia can be surgically treated with a cataract procedure called a clear lens exchange. This procedure involves removing the eyes crystalline lens completely and replacing it with a lens which will correct the hyperopia.
What Steps Should I Take If I Think I Am Farsighted?
An eye examination is recommended any time you have blurred vision. Dr. Reinders can evaluate your vision problem and determine if there are any other more serious issues causing the blurred vision. Dr. Reinders has over 22 years experience treating hyperopia and other refractive errors.