Hyperopia

When the eye has difficulty focusing on close objects; also referred to as farsightedness.

The older brother of myopia, hyperopia is, put simply, farsightedness. One fifth of the U.S. population is farsighted, so hyperopia isn’t necessarily classified as a disease. The disorder is one of many instances of irregularly-shaped corneas causing vision loss.

How Hyperopia Impacts Vision

The symptoms of hyperopia are numerous but not dangerous – blurry vision (particularly when wandering around at night), difficult focusing on up-close objects, eyestrain, and headaches. The degree to which this impacts vision is likely to change over time, but is thought to either plateau early on in life, or accelerate upon hitting the prime middle-aged year of 40.

Hyperopia Causes

There is no known cause of hyperopia. It is a condition that often starts in youth – around age 9. In some cases, it needs no treatment at all, as the eyes can adjust at an early age and correct themselves. In children, watch for habits of eye-rubbing and an unwillingness to read when attempting to evaluate whether he/she may be farsighted.