Vision Problems: Hypermetropia (long-sightedness)

A hyperopic person, or a person with long-sightedness, usually sees quite well. Their distance and near vision will be clear. Hypermetropia occurs for 2 reasons; either the lens system of the eye is too weak for the length, or the eye is too short for its optical power. This means that when the light enters the eye, the image is focused behind the retina. For large amounts of long-sightedness, the eyes can not make the extra effort that is needed to focus the light on the retina. This leads to symptoms in people of soreness, tired eyes, headaches, poor concentration with reading and computer work and also some blurring of words when reading for long periods of time. Glasses are generally given to help with strain and effort when reading or on the computer.

Hypermetropia in young children

Very young children may have large amounts of long-sightedness, or the child may be long-sighted in just one eye. These children need glasses for constant wear, or the eyes may not develop properly, resulting in permanent loss of vision in one eye known as a Lazy Eye, and/or a squint (one eye does not look straight). Often children do not know that they can't see well and so early sight testing is necessary for early detection.

Hypermetropia in older adults

As we get older, the lens inside the eye stiffens and can not be changed to focus the light on the retina. This can cause blurred vision in an eye which previously saw well. At this time glasses are prescribed for the blurry vision and/or any discomfort in the eye.