Hypermetropia, Hyperopia, or Far-sightedness
Hyperopia, far-sightedness, or hypermetropia is a refractive error of the eye where the vision of faraway objects is mainly clear, whereas close objects are blurred and unclear.
Basic reasons for the origin of hypermetropia are that the eyeball is shorter than normal or the cornea is too flattened, so parallel rays of light entering the eye refract irregularly and focus behind the place of the clearest vision – the macula – instead of directly on it.
When Does It Occur?
Hypermetropia can occur in any part of life; it can be present at birth and hereditary. The degree of hypermetropia determines symptoms and the possibility to focus on the image. Young people with moderate hypermetropia can focus even close objects with the help of accommodation, so they don’t need contact lenses or glasses.
People with high hyperopia cannot focus on close objects but need the necessary correction with glasses or contact lenses to function properly in everyday life.
What Are the Symptoms?
The signs and symptoms of hypermetropia are the following:
- Blurred vision of close objects
- Double vision of close objects
- The eyes are turned towards the inside due to strong accommodation and convergence
- Pain around the eye
- Eyestrain
- Headaches and overall weakness after long work with close objects, such as reading, writing, drawing, and work on a computer
Treatment of hyperopia
The options to correct hyperopia are as follows:
- Spectacles with hyperopic (+) lenses
- Hyperopic (+) lenses contact lenses
- Laser intervention
- Implantation of an intraocular lens