What is Hyperopia?
Hyperopia is also known as long-sightedness. Those who are affected by it can see well from a distance. However, they encounter difficulties when observing things close up, for example when reading. Thus reading glasses are required for those who wish to avoid squinting or experiencing fatigue or headaches. Normal sight occurs when light enters the eye and illuminates the retina allowing it to focus. Sufferers from hyperopia experience light concentrating behind the retina thus resulting in poor, shorter vision.
How is Hyperopia to be treated?
Formerly, the usage of corrective spectacles or lenses was the only feasible solution. This is no longer the case as it is now possible to have corrective surgery performed. The most common procedure in use for the correction of hyperopia is LASIK Surgery.
How does the surgery function?
LASIK surgery reshapes the surface of the cornea enabling it to focus better on to incoming light. The surgeon cuts a flap along the epithelium, the outer layer of the cornea. The tissue underneath is removed or ablated with an excimer laser. The aim is to create a more pronounced slope on the surface of the cornea so as to make it easier to focus light on the retina.
Is LASIK surgery used to combat Hyperopia alone?
No. LASIK is also used to treat myopia or shortsightedness through flattening the cornea's surface. It can also be used to treat more complex problems such as astigmatism.
Is LASIK the best option for treating Hyperopia?
While patients with hyperopia have reported a great deal of success with the LASIK procedure, it is nonetheless a surgical procedure and patients should reflect on this prior to making a decision. There are other options for sufferers. For example, 30-day extended wear contact lenses can restore vision without the inconvenience of daily contact lenses or intrusive surgery. At all times it is advisable to consult with an eye-specialist known to the patient prior to making a decision.
What else is there to consider about LASIK?
Difficulties with focusing can also be the result of presbyopia, a natural deterioration of the eyes’ visual capacity, which occurs around 40 years of age. LASIK is not a reliable treatment for this ailment.