Key Takeaways
- Farsightedness, also called hyperopia, is trouble seeing nearby objects
- Hyperopia happens when your eye focuses light behind your retina
- An irregularly shaped cornea or lens can cause hyperopia
- Your eye doctor can diagnose hyperopia during an eye exam
- Hyperopia is easily treated with corrective lenses or surgery
- Without treatment, hyperopia can lead to eye strain and amblyopia (lazy eye)
What is Hyperopia (Farsightedness)?
Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is a common refractive error that causes close objects to appear blurry. It’s a complex condition that ranges from mild to severe and is usually present at birth.
Hyperopia often runs in families and affects people of all ages, but it’s most common in children and adults over 40. Fortunately, it can be easily corrected with glasses or contacts.
You can also get refractive surgery to correct your vision. However, most people with mild hyperopia don’t have symptoms or require treatment.
What is Childhood Hyperopia?
Although some people are born with hyperopia, it usually diminishes or completely disappears as they get older. Additionally, most children have some degree of farsightedness but don’t have blurry vision.
This is because the lens in a child’s eyes is more flexible and changes focus between distances much easier. However, children with severe farsightedness may be at risk for other eye problems, such as amblyopia (lazy eye).
What Causes Hyperopia?
Farsightedness is typically caused by an irregularly shaped cornea, preventing light from bending properly into the retina. For example, a flat cornea doesn’t have enough curvature to bend light properly.
In some cases, hyperopia is caused by a shorter eyeball from front to back. Doctors call this measurement the axial length (AL). This causes light entering the eye to focus behind the retina instead of directly onto it, resulting in blurry vision.
Other factors that increase your likelihood of developing hyperopia include:
- Genetics. The likelihood of developing hyperopia is higher for people with farsighted parents or family members
- Developmental issues. Hyperopia can be caused by developmental issues such as underdevelopment of the macula.
- Medical conditions. Conditions like tumors and diabetes can also lead to hyperopia by affecting the eye’s structure and function.
- Genetic conditions. Certain genetic conditions, such as microphthalmia, achromatopsia, Down syndrome, etc., may be linked to hyperopia.
Signs and Symptoms of Hyperopia
Farsighted people often have difficulty reading things up close. They can feel uncomfortable with close tasks like writing or working on a computer.
They may also feel tired or irritable after prolonged periods of close work because their eyes have to work harder to see clearly. Other symptoms include:
- Blurry vision when looking at things up close
- Eye strain
- Aching or burning eyes
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Constant squinting
When to See an Eye Doctor for Hyperopia
If you have any eye or sight issues, schedule an appointment with an eye care professional. Some symptoms of farsightedness are also signs of other vision problems or serious health conditions.
A comprehensive, dilated eye exam is important to rule out these other possibilities. These conditions include:
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- An age-related loss of focusing ability called presbyopia
- Tumors affecting the back of the eye
- Papilledema, the swelling of the optic nerve
How is Hyperopia Diagnosed?
An eye care professional can diagnose farsightedness during a comprehensive eye exam, which may include the following tests:
| Test | Description |
| Visual acuity test | Assesses how well you can see at various distances. Your eye doctor may have you read lines of text from an eye chart or screen. |
| Visual field test | Identifies blind spots (scotoma) in your field of vision. Your visual field is the area you can see when focusing on a central point. |
| Tonometry | Measures your eye pressure, also called intraocular pressure (IOP). Tonometry is one of many tests that helps your eye doctor determine your risk for glaucoma. |
| Retinoscopy | Assesses the way light reflects off the retina. It can measure the refractive error in people who can’t complete a refraction test. Eye doctors often use this to determine children’s eyeglass prescriptions. |
| Refraction test (subjective refraction) | Fine-tunes your eyeglass prescription. It uses a phoropter machine to test how different lenses affect your vision. |
| Pupil dilation | For this test, your eye doctor will give you eye drops to widen, or dilate, your pupils. This allows your doctor to see the back wall of your eye to examine the retina and optic nerve. |
Treatment Options for Hyperopia
Fortunately, most people with farsightedness don’t experience serious complications. However, various treatment options are available if you need treatment for farsightedness.
The type of treatment you need typically depends on the severity of your hyperopia, these include:
| Treatment | Description | Types |
| Glasses | Most common treatment for hyperopia; adjusts how light bends as it passes through the eye | Single vision lenses, bifocal lenses, trifocal lenses, progressive multifocal lenses |
| Contacts | Works the same way as glasses; good for people who don’t want to wear glasses | Soft contact lenses, gas-permeable contacts |
| Refractive surgery | Changes the eyeball shape so light focuses directly on the retina; can correct severe farsightedness | LASIK, LASEK, PRK |
We recommend talking to an eye care professional about your hyperopia. They can suggest different correction options, designs, and surgery types best suited to your needs.
What Happens If You Don’t Get Treatment for Hyperopia?
If left untreated, farsightedness can impact your quality of life. It can affect your ability to perform certain tasks, play sports, or do hobbies. Constantly squinting can also lead to eyestrain and headaches.
As mentioned before, farsightedness can lead to a lazy eye. This condition can cause the brain to ignore signals from the eye that can see well.
Lazy eye an also result in permanent vision loss if not treated. Lastly, because people with farsightedness have trouble seeing near objects, it also increases the risk of falling and injuries, such as fractures.
Can You Prevent Farsightedness?
Unfortunately, there’s no way to prevent farsightedness, but you can make healthy lifestyle choices to reduce the risk of eye problems associated with hyperopia.
Here are some of our tips:
- Wear protective eyewear to protect your eyes from the sun.
- Maintain a healthy diet of leafy greens, fish, and nuts. These provide omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the eyes.
- Exercise regularly to help improve blood flow to the eyes.
- Quit smoking to decrease the risk of eye problems and maintain your eye health and vision.
You should also visit your eye doctor and get eye exams regularly. This helps detect vision problems early and monitor the progression of hyperopia.
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