​Farsightedness (Hyperopia): Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment

​Farsightedness (Hyperopia): Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment

Posted by Accuspire on Jul 21st 2020

Hyperopia or Farsightedness is a refractive condition and in this condition the eyes do not bend and reflect the light properly to focus on seeing an image clearly. The closer objects look blurred but the distant objects are clear. When a person is young, the symptoms are not clear. People who have significant hyperopia can see distant objects blurry and this is a focusing disorder and not a disease.

Causes:

For our eyes to see, the light rays must be bent by the cornea, lens and tear film, so that it gets focused on the retina. In turn, the retina sends the image to our brain with the help of optic nerve. The optic nerve is actually the part of the brain.

This condition occurs when the cornea is flat or the eye is too short. Because of this condition, the rays do not fall on the retina and falls beyond that. Finally we see distant objects somewhat clear but the near objects look blurred.

This condition is also inherited and sometimes children do not experience blurry vision. The farsightedness is not so severe at first and the distant vision is seen clearly at first, but when they grow older, the hyperopia gets lessened.

Symptoms:

Some of the symptoms of hyperopia are difficulty in reading, headache, squinting and eyestrain. Children who have farsightedness do not experience blurry vision because the light rays fall directly on the retina.

Diagnsosis:

A comprehensive eye examination is done to diagnose this condition. A standard vision test is also done and the ophthalmologist asks the patient to read letters on a chart and takes other measurement as well. If farsightedness is confirmed, a retinoscope is used to shine light into the retina and examined. Phoropter is also used to measure the refractive error in eyes. Eyeglass is usually prescribed to correct the refractive error.

Treatment:

Contact lenses or eyeglasses are usually prescriber to treat hyperopia and they work by reflecting light on the retina. They also protect the eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays. LASIK is a type of surgery used to correct this condition and to improve the vision. It reshapes the cornea and adjusts the focusing ability of the eye.