About Hyperopia or Farsightedness

Anyone who has trouble seeing objects that are close may have a condition that is commonly referred to as farsightedness. The medical term for farsightedness is hyperopia. There is no trouble seeing any objects that are far away, but once those objects get closer the picture is unfocused and unclear. This condition affects almost one fourth of the population in the United States. Having hyperopia is not the end of the world. Millions of people are diagnosed every day. Failure to get this condition properly taken care of can result in worse vision problems later.

Hyperopia is caused when the rays of light upon entering the eye focus behind the retina. For normal sight the light rays are supposed to focus upon the retina when entering the eye. Surprisingly hyperopia is a condition that is often present at birth. Many kids tend to outgrow this condition as they get older due to their eye lens being more flexible and still developing. The characteristic of a person who suffers from hyperopia is their eyes are smaller than a person's eyes who don't suffer from hyperopia. Hyperopia is a genetic trait that usually affects more than one member of the same family.

Symptoms

The symptoms of hyperopia are crossed eyes, squinting when trying to see an up close object, frequent headaches when reading and eye strain. If you experience any drastic changes in vision such as red eyes, puffiness or any sudden loss of vision consult your doctor immediately.

Diagnosis

Testing is usually the way to diagnosis someone who is suffering from hyperopia. There are several different types of tests to confirm this condition. These tests include eye movement testing, Glaucoma testing, visual acuity which is performed by testing what amount of small letters a person can read from a distance of 14 -20 feet away, slit-lamp exam to examine the structures of the eye under a low powered microscope with high intensity light, retinal exam and refraction testing. These tests are used to rule out any other condition that may be present.

Treatment

Once Hyperopia is diagnosed it is very easy to treat. A prescription for eyeglasses or special lenses is usually prescribed to correct this condition. This condition is not immediately fixed with glasses. It can take a bit of time such as months, years or maybe even a lifelong prescription to correct hyperopia. A more immediate solution is getting refractive eye surgery or LASIK eye surgery. LASIK is not an alternative to glasses for everyone with this condition. Consult your physician to determine if LASIK surgery is an option that is suited for you.