You may see what is written on the signboard at the end of the road clearly, but not when you are reading a book or looking at your phone. This means you might have hyperopia — commonly known as farsightedness where you can see faraway objects just fine but near objects appear blurry.
Hyperopia is categorized by the degree of refractive error. Low hyperopia is +2.00D or less, moderate hyperopia is +2.25 to +5.00D, and high hyperopia is +5.25D or more. People with severe farsightedness may only be able to see objects that are far away, but those with mild farsightedness may be able to see objects that are closer.
How does Hyperopia happen?
At the back of our eyeball has a light-sensitive layer called “retina” that causes nerve impulses to go to the brain through the optic nerve, where a visual image can be formed properly. But when the shape of the eye causes light to focus behind the retina rather than on it, hyperopia occurs.
It means, the light rays that enter the eyes of a person who suffers from farsightedness cannot properly refract the lights when their eyeball is too short, the cornea is too flat, or the lens is getting older. This refractive error makes nearby objects look blurry.
Most farsighted persons are born with it. However, it may not create vision issues until they are older. If other members of your family are farsighted, you are more likely to be as well.
Symptoms of hyperopia
Some farsighted people may not notice any visual impairments. However, if your eye muscles have to work harder to see near objects, you may have hyperopia. Farsightedness causes you to experience symptoms such as:
- Things that are close appear blurry.
You will have a hard time seeing things, especially when looking at things that are close. The severity of it depends on the degree of your eye’s refractive error.
2. Squinting your eyes to see clearly.
You might develop a habit of squinting or constantly rubbing your eyes. This action often happens when you try to turn your blurry vision clearer.
3. Experiencing eye strain.
Your eyes might feel tired or sore, including burning eyes, and aching in or around the eyes since you will keep on squinting or straining your eyes to maintain focus.
4. Having general eye discomfort
You might suffer eye discomfort or headache after doing close tasks like reading, writing, computer work, or drawing for a period of time.
Diagnosis & Treatments
To ensure that the eyes are in good condition, everyone should get an eye exam. Although the precise timing varies depending on age, exams should typically be performed every few years.
Get your eyes checked right away by a professional in the field of vision care, such as an optometrist or ophthalmologist, if you encounter any vision-related symptoms. A thorough yet painless eye exam will be performed by the eye care professional, including some or all of the following tests:
- Eyedrops: The practitioner may use specific eye drops to dilate your eyes. Your pupils — the dark circle in the middle of your eye — will enlarge as a result of the drops, allowing more light to enter and enabling the retinal exam.
- Phoropter: This device assesses the severity of the problem or the refractive error. The device has camera lenses all over it, resembling a big mask. It aids the doctor in figuring out how to fix your vision.
- Retinoscope: The doctor will beam a special light into your eyes to see how it reflects off the retina. This phase helps in identifying whether you are near- or farsightedness. With the exception of pediatric cases, this is not frequently done.
So how to treat your farsightedness? Your eye specialist will recommend either eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery.
- Eyeglasses: The lenses of eyeglasses offer a quick solution to farsightedness. It is achieved by altering how light focuses on your retina. The kind of lenses you require and how frequently you should wear them will depend on how farsighted you are.
- Contact Lenses: Like eyeglasses, contact lenses adjust the way light bends. However, contact lenses are tiny and rest directly on the eyeball’s surface. They are generally more convenient and safe. However, you can experience problems wearing them which include dry eyes, allergies, and recurring eye infections.
- Refractive surgery: You might decide to undergo laser-assisted refractive surgery to reshape your cornea. These procedures can enhance farsightedness by adjusting the eye’s capacity to focus. LASIK and PRK are the two most popular procedures where some people are able to reduce their need for glasses or contact lenses, or even don’t need them anymore. However, only milder forms of hyperopia can be treated with LASIK.
While with refractive lens exchange (RLE), an artificial lens (intraocular lens or IOL) is used to replace the natural lens in your eye in order to treat farsightedness. Be mindful that every refractive eye surgery costs differ from one another.
Final Say
Consult an eye doctor at VISTA Eye Specialist if your degree of farsightedness is severe which prevents you from performing tasks or if the quality of your vision prevents you from enjoying your daily activities. All of our eye specialists can assess how farsighted you are and suggest the best vision correction solutions for you.
