About 25 percent of the population is farsighted. People with hyperopia have difficulty focusing on objects close-up, such as while reading or sewing. Farsighted people experience blurry near vision because light rays entering the eye focus behind the retina rather than directly on the retina. This happens because the eyeball of a hyperopic person is shorter than normal.
Farsightedness should not be confused with presbyopia, a condition that affects the lens usually in the early 40s. The eye loses its ability to focus up close so bifocals are needed. Many children are born with farsightedness, which may slowly disappear as the child grows and the eyeballs lengthen. However, not all children outgrow their hyperopia.
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This refractive error can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, which change the way light rays bend into the eyes. If your prescription begins with plus numbers, like +2.50, you are farsighted. You may need to wear your vision correction all the time, or only when performing close work. Refractive surgery is another option for correcting hyperopia, and it may reduce or eliminate your need to wear glasses or contact lenses.
DR. WILLIAM WELDER is an optometrist at Prairie Vision Center in Wahpeton.
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