People who are farsighted see far-away objects better than those that are close. If you are farsighted, you may have trouble with up-close tasks like reading or sewing.
Farsightedness occurs because your eye is too short and does not bend light correctly. Light entering the eye is focused behind the retina instead of directly on the retina.
Mild farsightedness may not need treatment in young adults. Their eyes can usually adjust to make up for the problem. But as you age, your eyes cannot adjust as well. You may not notice that you are farsighted until around age 40, when you will need eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Glasses or contact lenses can also help if your farsightedness is more than a mild problem. Surgery may be an option in some cases.
Farsightedness, also called hyperopia, is the inability of the eye to focus on nearby objects and sometimes on distant objects also. This occurs because the light entering the eye is focused behind the retina instead of directly on it.
Farsightedness occurs when an eye is too short lengthwise, the cornea is not curved enough, or the lens sits farther back in the eye than normal.
Eyeglasses or contact lenses are used most often to correct farsightedness. In some cases surgery can improve vision.
Farsightedness often starts in early childhood. But normal growth corrects the problem. If a child is still a bit farsighted when the eye has stopped growing (at around 9 years of age), the eye can usually adjust to make up for the problem. This is called accommodation.
But as we age, our eyes can no longer adjust as well. Starting at about age 40, our eyes naturally begin to lose the ability to focus on close objects. This is called presbyopia. You may start to notice that your near vision becomes blurred. As presbyopia gets worse, both near and distance vision will become blurred.
Symptoms of farsightedness can include:
Children with this problem may have no symptoms. But a child with more severe farsightedness may:
Most farsighted people don't need treatment. Your eyes can usually adjust to make up for the problem. But as you age and your eyes can't adjust as well, you will probably need eyeglasses or contact lenses. (Glasses or contact lenses can help at any age if farsightedness is more than a mild problem.)
Surgery may be an option in some cases. Procedures to reshape the cornea, such as LASIK, can be done for milder cases of farsightedness. For severe farsightedness, surgery can replace the clear lens of your eye with an implanted lens.
If you are farsighted, get regular eye exams, and see your eye care specialist if you have changes in your vision.
A routine eye exam by an ophthalmologist or optometrist can show if you're farsighted. The exam includes questions about your eyesight and a physical exam of your eyes. Other vision tests, such as a slit lamp exam, may also be done.
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People who are farsighted see things at a distance more easily than they see things up close. If you are very farsighted, close objects may be so blurry that you can't do tasks such as reading or sewing.
How farsightedness affects you will likely change as you age.
Farsightedness occurs when light entering the eye is focused behind the retina instead of directly on it. This is caused by an eye that is too short, whose cornea is not curved enough, or whose lens sits farther back in the eye than normal.
Farsightedness often runs in families. In rare cases, some diseases such as retinopathy and eye tumors can cause it.
People who are farsighted see things at a distance more easily than they see things up close. Close objects may look blurry. Farsightedness (hyperopia) is usually a variation from normal, not a disease. How it affects you may change as you age.
Watch closely for changes in your child's health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
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