Hyperopia

• What Is Hyperopia?
• What Causes Hyperopia?
• What will I notice about my vision?
• Can Hyperopia change over time?

What is Hyperopia?

Hyperopia means "longsighted"

A young "normal" eye looking into the far distance sees clearly without making any focusing effort. A hyperopic (long sighted) young eye looking into the far distance can only see clearly if the muscular focusing system inside the eye is used.

A normal eye begins to use its focusing system as objects come closer. A longsighted eye has to make the same focusing effort for near work as a normal eye, but this is in addition to the effort it makes to keep distance vision clear.

In other words, a longsighted eye has to "work harder" than a normal eye at all distances.

What causes Hyperopia?

In most cases hyperopia is due to the eyeball being smaller than normal. Because of this, when the eye is fully relaxed vision is focused some distance behind the back of the eye (retina). Clear vision is impossible unless the power of the optical system is increased either by the eye increasing its focusing effort, or by using spectacles or contact lenses.

For low amounts of hyperopia young eyes will often make the necessary focusing adjustment without any eyestrain or discomfort. The higher the hyperopia the greater the effort needed for clear vision, especially for close work. Although visual disorders caused by poorly focused vision are usually inherited, eyes with simple hyperopia are capable of good vision and require no treatment apart from an optical correction.

The Hyperopic person may notice:

• Vision is poor without effort
• Blurred vision on looking up from close work
• Frequent eyestrain symptoms
• Headaches and poor concentration
• Occasional double vision
• These problems may be more obvious with near work than with distance vision

Can Hyperopia change over time?

80% of children are born slightly longsighted and some remain so throughout life. Since the size of the eye is the main factor governing focus, and as eyes continue to grow until about age 25, longsighted eyes may tend to become less longsighted as a child grows. Because most changes in hyperopia are normal, growth related changes, they happen regardless of factors such as diet, vitamins, rest and exercise. Spectacles do not make hyperopia worse. They merely allow the wearer to see more clearly and comfortably by relaxing vision and their use is not habit forming. For some very young children wearing spectacles is most important if vision is to develop normally.

All eyes slowly lose their focusing ability with increasing age. Because of this most people, (even those with perfect distance vision), need reading spectacles in their mid to late forties. Later in life a person with hyperopia eventually also needs distance spectacles to give clear and comfortable vision.

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