Farsightedness, clinically called “hyperopia,” is a common vision problem that also affects a large portion of the population, about 25%. The term farsightedness is commonly used because it describes the condition in which people are able to see distant objects more clearly than nearby objects. This should not be confused with presbyopia in which reading nearby objects becomes difficult. This begins to occur naturally in all people around the age of 40 years.
Like nearsightedness, farsightedness can also be a hindrance in daily life so many hyperopic patients seek effective ways of correcting hyperopia. Corrective lenses in the form of glasses and contacts are a common way of correcting farsightedness.
Without the assistance of corrective lenses, people with hyperopia tend to have difficulty clearly seeing:
Farsightedness is usually caused by an eye that is too short. The irregular shape of the eye causes incoming light rays to focus behind the retina rather than directly on it. As a result, images of near objects appear blurry.
Prescription eyewear is effective for correcting hyperopia because the corrective lens can refocus the incoming light and create clearer images. Unfortunately, glasses and contacts are not permanent solution for correcting farsightedness, since they only work when they are being worn.
Since glasses and contacts can easily be misplaced and cannot be worn during every moment of the day, many people farsightedness seek more advanced solutions for correcting their disorder. Refractive surgery has become a viable option for correcting these.
- A computer screen
- A newspaper
- Both nearby and distant objects