Our eyes are a pair of complex organs that allow us to perceive differences in terms of depth. Having certain eye conditions can dramatically affect how our eyes properly function. Overall, ocular health is often overlooked which can cause serious damage to your vision.
What Is Hyperopia
Hyperopia, Hypermetropia or just farsightedness, is among the most common vision health issues from which one can suffer. Estimated to be affecting a fourth of the population, farsightedness is an ocular health problem that makes it hard to see objects up close, while objects farther away appear to be much clearer.
Hyperopia is a refractive error, an inaccuracy in the bending of light rays. A flaw in the light ray’s refraction (bending) causes blurry vision and other nonvisual complications that may affect daily activities.
Similar to other refractive errors such as myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism, farsightedness should be treated promptly. Failure to do so can cause a more serious complication, like having a lazy eye, for example. Correction of hyperopia before a child turns eight can prevent a lazy eye.
What Causes This Condition?
To understand how it causes complications, you need to remember that sight involves light bouncing off an object. The light is then detected by light-sensitive cells located in the retina of our eyes. The stimulus runs through the optic nerve to the brain, where it’s processed and becomes a full image.
When your eyeballs are too short, the light that that should hit your retina is focused behind the retina instead. With hyperopia, the light that bounces off closer objects is directed behind the retina, while farther objects are focused properly on the retina making them clear. Similarly, when your cornea is too flat, the same thing happens, and the light is focused not where it’s supposed to be.
The inaccuracy of the focus of the light is easily fixed with corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses. In more serious cases, seek the help of an ophthalmologist, a trained specialist that can perform more complex vision correction methods such as laser eye surgery.
Signs & Symptoms
Common vision screening exams sometimes cannot detect Hyperopia. Hence, an optometrist can administer a more comprehensive test to address indications of this vision problem.
Symptoms include eyestrain, eye fatigue, difficulty in focusing on nearby objects, headache, and burning eyes. If your condition is enough to disrupt your daily activities, it is best to visit a trusted eye doctor near you for the proper assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. They will help you choose what method of vision correction is best for your condition.
