Also known as farsightedness or long-sightedness, hyperopia is a condition where objects in the distance are seen more clearly than those up close. The experience of hyperopia can vary considerably from person to person, especially when young people with hyperopia may not have any trouble with their vision and report better distance vision than many of their peers.
As well as the inability to see objects at close distances, patients with hyperopia can also suffer from a number of other associated problems, including:
Less common conditions include amblyopia, strabismus, and accommodative dysfunction.
Hyperopia is present in almost all infants, however, this is usually overcome naturally because children tend to have highly flexible eye lenses, and can compensate for the error. As the child grows, the eyeball also grows, and the hyperopia slowly decreased.
Hyperopia often accompanies a turned or squinting eye and in this situation the affected eye can cause the brain to rely on the stronger eye only.
Specific treatment is required to ensure both eyes perform equally.
The standard diagnosis of hyperopia requires a number of tests including:
For the vast majority of people with long-sightedness, the standard treatment options include either corrective glasses or contact lenses. While this is an easy option, after a period of time some people can experience everyday problems with either of these options. They include:
Beyond spectacles and contact lenses, there are a number of alternatives to correct vision:
Hyperopia is a very common disorder and, indeed, many people across the world have it in such a mild form, they simply don’t realise they have it. For most patients who are long-sighted, they can rely on one of the many corrective solutions available and go on to lead a perfectly normal life, at any age.