Understanding Hyperopia: The Symptoms and Causes of Hyperopia Explained

Ever wondered why your vision becomes blurred when reading a book but you can clearly see things that are situated at a distance?  Well, you are a victim of hyperopia, which is commonly known as farsightedness. Typically, people suffering from this condition face problems viewing things close up but can view things located far away. It is a kind of refractive error that affects several people around the world. If you are also finding it difficult reading, while working on your laptop or those tasks where close viewing is important, you probably have hyperopia.

What happens when you have hyperopia?

When you have hyperopia, you will find it difficult to see things close-up but on deeper analysis it reveals that people suffering from this condition:

• Cannot see clearly when objects are within six meters or about twenty feet.
• Fail to focus on things that are situated close

People with high degree of farsightedness may face extreme difficulty in viewing objects or people present at a close distance. In many cases, their vision remains blurred at all distances.

What leads to farsightedness?

Hyperopia occurs when the eyeball turns too short or the curve of the cornea is distorted. Dues to this anomaly, the rays of light do not fall on the retina or the layer of tissues that are present at the back of the eye. Besides, the condition may also occur when the rays of light falls behind the retina and not on it. Therefore, the light rays move behind the retina before the cornea bends them. Due to these changes, objects and people situated close appear blurred.

It is the shape of your eyes that determine that you have farsightedness to a certain extent. However, the doctor and the optometrist need to examine your eyes and decide the degree of power you have. When you have hyperopia, the axial length of the eyes and the curvature of the cornea become distorted. Due to the distorted shape of the eyes, light rays do not fall in the appropriate place and the eyes fail to process it properly. That is what causes you vision to malfunction.

Other causes of farsightedness

You are familiar now that hyperopia occurs primarily due to distortion within the eyes due to which it fails to process the rays of light adequately and properly. Many people inherit this condition since birth and hence face trouble focusing on things from childhood. When not treated properly, the condition may worsen and as time passes by, an individual with farsightedness may fail to focus on anything irrespective of the distance. The condition may also occur when you have:

• Macular hypoplasia, a rare eye condition that occurs when you have underdeveloped macula
• Diabetes
• Tumours

Symptoms of farsightedness

Initially, the symptoms of hyperopia may not manifest properly but as the refractive error sharpens and becomes evident, you may note the appearance of the following symptoms:

• Blurred vision when looking at things close by
• Fatigue in the eyes
• Double vision when knitting, reading, writing, or drawing
• Difficulty in performing tasks that are present at a close distance
• Nagging pain in the eyes
• Eyes tend to become squinted when reading
• Strain in the eyes or burning sensation ; your eyes may start aching when performing simple tasks

It may also cause symptoms like headaches when you will find it more difficult to focus on your day-to-day tasks. When children suffer from farsightedness, they tend to rub their eyes often and seem less interested to read. Children with severe cases of farsightedness may eventually develop a condition called lazy eyes or strabismus when their eyes tend to focus on different directions. Therefore, parents must get their eyes examined right from childhood before the situation turns complicated.

Is farsightedness a genetic condition?

Yes, research reveals that hyperopia is a genetic condition. Therefore, you may inherit this refractive error from your biological parents through the genes. For instance, genetic issues often cause your eyes to develop improperly, leading to changes in the axial length.  The extent of refractive error in your eyes shoots up when you have genetic disorders like:

• Fragile X Syndrome
• Down’s Syndrome
• Achromatopsia

When should you go to a doctor?

People with any eye condition tend to ignore it initially or they probably do not know when to visit the doctor. If the extent of farsightedness is well manifested when the objects nearby appear blurry or your eyes become squint when you make an effort to see things clearly, you must see an ophthalmologist. Apart from this, if you cannot perform your day-to-day tasks properly or when poor vision prevents you from seeing things clearly, you must see an eye doctor. The doctor examines the degree of farsightedness and recommends eyewear for correct vision or to see more clearly.

How to test your eyes for hyperopia?

An individual with hyperopia needs to undergo comprehensive examination of both eyes. During the tests, the optometrist may use eye drops to dilate the pupils and allow more light to enter. That way, they can view parts of the eyes and the retina more clearly. Furthermore, they may use more lights and different instruments to confirm that your eyes have a refractive error.

How to correct hyperopia?

When you visit an eye doctor to correct farsightedness, they may recommend the following:

• Contact lenses

Contact lenses work similarly as eyeglasses and ensure that the light rays bend correctly when entering the eyes. However, they are smaller in size and placed directly on the eyeball. It is safe to insert contact lenses but people with infections in their eyes or those who have dry eyes may not use contact lenses.

• Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses come with lens based on the degree of hyperopia. When you wear glasses, the way in which light falls on the retina changes and you can see clearly. The severity of the condition determines how often you need to wear glasses.

• Surgery

Surgery may be rarely required to correct farsightedness but if your condition is complicated or vision problems worsen, the doctor may recommend LASIK eye surgery to lower the degree of hyperopia. Those with very high degree of hyperopia may need refractive lens exchange wherein the eye surgeon may replace the natural lens with intraocular lens.

Hyperopia doesn’t go away completely and may lead to vision alterations from time to time. Eyeglasses and contact lenses do not cure this condition but keep it under check and help you get more focus. At Malaya Optical, our professional optometrists conduct eye examinations and recommend eyewear designed by their team of stylists. To shop for designer eyewear, network with the specialists at Malaya Optical.