Hyperopia (Farsightedness)

If you have trouble seeing both far and near – for example, you cannot recognize people from a distance and also experience fatigue or headaches while reading – you may be farsighted.
The image falls behind the retina, which makes it unclear. Positive diopters (plus glasses) are used in this case.

Other symptoms include:

• Blurred vision, especially when looking at objects close to your face
• Blurred vision/fatigue at night.
• Double vision while reading.
• Dull eye pain.
• Eye strain.

What causes hypermetropia?

Common causes of hypermetropia include a relatively short eyeball (front to back). Medical professionals call this ‘reduced axial length.’ Another cause is a cornea that is flatter than expected.

You might wonder why it matters if my eyeball is short or my cornea is flat?

The cornea is the transparent outer layer of the eye. This ‘window’ bends the light when it enters the eye, helping it reach the retina – a thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye. The cornea is slightly curved. This curvature bends light entering the eye at a precise angle so it reaches the retina. However, if the cornea is too flat or the distance between the front and back of the eye is too short, this delicate balance is disrupted.

How it is corrected:

• Glasses
• Contact lenses
• Laser correction

Synonyms: Poor near vision, Farsighted eye, Hyperopia, Diopters