Long Sightedness (hyperopia)

What is hyperopia?

Hyperopia, also known as long-sightedness or far-sightedness, is the condition in which close objects appear blurry. A longsighted person may have good distance vision but will have trouble with close objects.

What problems might a person with long-sightedness experience?

The signs and symptoms of long-sightedness can vary greatly between individuals, and often occur when a person is involved in a lot of close work (e.g. computers, reading, studying, etc.), or immediately after undertaking a lot of near work.

Low levels: generally the early signs and symptoms of long-sightedness are vague and occasional, and may involve any of

• Headache
• Eye strain
• Occasional difficulty reading
• Fatigue
• Dislike or avoidance of reading
• Dislike or avoidance of computer work
• Difficulty changing focus from near to far
• Watery, uncomfortable eyes
• Excessive blinking
• Squinting to read

Medium Levels: most of the signs and symptoms here are more pronounced, and tend to be constantly present:

• Headache
• Inability to read small print
• Inability to work on a computer

Higher Levels: constantly present

• Reading becomes impossible
• Distance vision may become blurred (even though this is a contradiction with the definition of long-sightedness!).

Picture of close up out of focus, but distance OK)

Who develops long sightedness?

Anyone can develop long sightedness at any age. Long sightedness can remain dormant for years, causing problems only when a person engages in a considerable amount of near work or changes occupation to one which involves more reading. Longsighted people generally become a little more longsighted as they grow older.

What causes long sightedness?

No-one is sure, however there is believed to be a hereditary component.

With hyperopia, light entering the eye focuses in behind the retina. This occurs because either the eye is too short (in length), or the focusing components of the eye are too weak.

A diagram of a normal eye v a longsighted eye.

As you can see, in the diagram of the normal eye, light enters the eye, and focuses perfectly onto the back of the eye (the retina). With a longsighted eye, the light focuses in beyond the retina, and causes the image that forms on the retina to be blurred. This causes near vision to become blurred.

Can long-sightedness be cured?

No. Because long sightedness is a developmental problem with an hereditary basis, there doesn't appear to be a much likelihood of a cure.

What should I do if I think I might be long sighted?

You should arrange for an eye examination with your local Optometrist.  Your Optometrist will advise you if you have developed hyperopia, and will be able to recommend the best form of treatment if it is required.