Hyperopia - long sight

Hyperopia means “longsight”.

A young “normal” eye looking into the far distance sees clearly without making any focusing effort. A hyperopic (longsighted) 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 an object comes closer. A long sighted 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. With hyperopia, a long sighted 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 effort without any eye strain or discomfort. The greater the hyperopia the greater the effort needed for clear vision, especially for close work.

§  The person with hyperopia may notice:

§  Vision is poor unless they make an effort to see

§  Vision is blurred when looking up from close work

§  They experience frequent eyestrain symptoms

§  They suffer from headaches and poor concentration

§  Occasionally they experience double vision

Does hyperopia change over time?

Eighty per cent of children are born slightly long sighted and some remain so throughout life. Since the size of an eye is the main factor governing focus, and as eyes continue to grow until about age 25, long sighted eyes tend to become less longsighted as a child grows. Visual disorders caused by poorly focused vision are usually inherited. Eyes with these simple disorders are capable of good vision and require no treatment apart from an optical correction. Because most changes in hyperopia are due to normal growth they happen regardless of factors such as the amount of close work done, rest, vitamins and exercises. Spectacles do not strengthen or weaken vision in fully developed eyes (after about age five). They merely allow the wearer to see more clearly and comfortably and their use is not habit forming. (For some young children wearing spectacles is very 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 sometime in their forties. Later in life a person with hyperopia also needs spectacles to give clear and comfortable distance vision.