Your eyes are amazing organs. They capture millions of images per second and constantly transmit these to the brain. A larger part of the brain is actually dedicated to eyesight more than the other senses. So, if you develop an eye condition, it may affect your quality of life, your safety, or your ability to perform daily tasks. Many disorders can affect your eyes and one of the most common is hyperopia or farsightedness. Learn more about farsightedness causes and treatment here.
Overall Eye Health: All You Need to Know
What is Hyperopia?
Hyperopia is the medical term for what people generally know as farsightedness.
To understand this condition, we have to understand the parts of the eye that help with focusing on objects: the cornea and the lens. The cornea is the curved front part of the eye, while the lens is the clear structure behind the cornea. In a normal eye, these two parts bend (or refract) light because they are perfectly curved and smooth. By doing this, you will “see” a sharp and focused image.
If the cornea is not curved the right way, or if the eye is shorter than normal, then you can develop hyperopia. The cause for this condition may be physiologic (biological, like an inherited eye disorder) or pathologic (like a congenital disorder or a systemic one brought about by a disease).
This condition is common in both children and adults. Farsightedness causes and treatment vary and depend on several factors like how far the condition has worsened, your age, and how much strain you put on your eyes.
Symptoms
People who develop hyperopia may experience the following symptoms:
- Blurred vision – The term “farsightedness” is actually considered a misnomer. Although the majority of patients complain about being unable to clearly see objects that are near their eyes, hyperopia can also make things that are far away appear blurry.
- Asthenopia – Also called eye strain. This symptom manifests as double vision, an aching or burning sensation in or around the eye, a red or teary eye, and headaches.
- Accommodative dysfunction – Affects mostly children and young adults. The eyes need to adjust to focus properly on an image. Without this ability, people will not be able to read or perform daily visual tasks.
- Binocular dysfunction – Even though you have two eyes, these are perfectly synchronized so you only see one object. If the eyes are not aligned properly then they will transmit to the brain two different images or images that are in different positions. This dysfunction leads to people literally seeing double.
- Amblyopia – Also known as “lazy eye.’ This symptom usually affects only one eye but some people can develop it on both eyes. The affected eye does not work properly or is not aligned with the other eye.
- Strabismus – A condition where one or both eyes are misaligned. The affected eye may align inward (cross-eyed), outward (wall-eyed), upward (hypertropia), or downward (hypotropia).
The symptoms generally manifest after carrying out visual tasks for a long period like reading, writing, or computer work. Since these symptoms can occur in other eye problems, only an eye examination can detect this disorder.
If hyperopia is detected early on, then the more complicated conditions like amblyopia or strabismus may be prevented. If the condition is not treated, then you may experience eye discomfort and problems with your eyesight.
Diagnosis
Hyperopia may be common but since each person is unique, the diagnosis for this condition involves several factors:
- Patient history – Includes the main complaint or symptoms that the patient is experiencing, general health history, family history, allergies, habits, environment, and other factors that may affect the eyes.
- Ocular examination – May involve different tests to determine the gravity of the condition and the symptoms. The tests can also determine if you have other eye anomalies and how to best treat your condition.
Farsightedness Causes and Treatment
If left untreated, hyperopia can affect not just your eyesight but your quality of life as well. So, it should be treated immediately, both to correct the problem and to prevent the risks of developing complications.
There is no universal treatment for this condition. Doctors need to examine each person’s unique physiology, history, habits, and environment to recommend the best and most appropriate treatment, which could be:
Glasses and contact lenses
This is the most common mode of treatment. Glasses or contact lenses help the affected eye refract light properly.
There are many types to choose from nowadays. Some glasses have additional components. For example, people who need to do computer work for long periods can have glasses that reduce eye strain.
It may take some time for you to adjust to your glasses or lenses. You may experience headaches or lightheadedness during this period. Some people fare better if they use the glasses or contact lenses only for specific tasks like reading. Consult your doctor if your eyes do not adjust properly after a while.
Vision therapy
This is a customized program aimed at “teaching” your entire visual system to improve and correct problems through non-surgical and visual activities that use things like prisms, metronomes, and even video games. This process is prescribed for patients who can’t wear glasses or contact lenses. It can be an additional treatment for those who need to adjust to other eye programs.
Modification of habit and environment
Similar to vision therapy, this is a non-surgical treatment, but it focuses on your behavior and surroundings to lessen your symptoms. This approach covers factors like the amount of lighting for the place where you work, reducing glare from a device, or taking breaks from computer work.
Surgery
This involves the direct adjustment of the eye through an operation. Due to technological advances in ophthalmology, there are now surgical processes like LASIK that do not require a long recovery period.
Key Takeaways
What are farsightedness causes and treatment? Farsightedness Hyperopia may not seem as alarming as other eye conditions, but it is closely associated with more complicated eye problems like amblyopia and strabismus. So, it should be corrected as early as possible.
Early diagnosis and treatment through periodic eye exams can prevent or lower the risks of other visual disorders, especially in children. Remember, your eyes are important organs of your body so it’s equally vital that you take care of them.
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