In The Venue

Nearly one-fourth of the United States population suffers from hyperopia, or far-sightedness, a vision defect wherein the subject has difficulty in focusing on objects at close range. Glasses have been used to correct the vision of hyperopic individuals for centuries now, and more recently contact lenses have also been used to treat hyperopia. In the last 50 years, refractive surgery has become increasingly popular to treat hyperopia and in the last 20. laser-assisted refractive surgery has become particularly popular because of the benefits it offers.

According to the Mayo Clinic, hyperopia is sometimes present in farsighted individuals at birth and likely is hereditary. In other cases, hyperopia develops over time as the body ages, and many people over the age of 50 at some point must seek treatment for farsightedness. Sometimes, children born with hyperopia outgrow the condition as their eyes grow and develop. In some cases, eye tumors or retinopathy, or the growth of abnormal blood vessels around the eyes, can also cause hyperopia.

Hyperopia is one of several types of refractive errors of the eye. Farsightedness is caused by a deformity of the eye, specifically by either your cornea being curved too little or your eye being shorter than it ought to be. A normal eye will focus light directly on your retina, but a hyperopic eye will focus light behind the retina. This incorrect focusing results in near range objects appearing to be blurry. For some folks, especially younger people, this isn’t a problem, as your eye compensates by overfocusing. Over time, however, your eyes will likely be unable to do this, and you’ll lose your ability to compensate for hyperopia by overfocusing thanks to a condition called presbyopia.

Presbyopia is the gradual deterioration of the eye’s ability to focus. Like grey hair and wrinkles, it’s a normal part of the human aging process. As mentioned before presbyopia can exacerbate hyperopia or reveal a until-recently undiscovered case of hyperopia. Presbyopia usually sets in at about age 40. It can occasionally be confused with hyperopia because it causes some of the same symptoms, but the root cause of hyperopia and presbyopia are different.

One interesting thing about presbyopia is that it can actually be benefical to folks with myopia, or nearsightedness. Myopes with astigmatism actually may notice an increase in their ability to see near distance objects once presbyopia sets in, which is part of the reason why refractive surgery is not recommended for folks with myopia and presbyopia, unless the surgery is done to mold one eye to see short distances and the other to see long distances.

Refractive surgery can greatly help to alleviate the symptoms of hyperopia, however. The symptoms of hyperopia include blurred vision, difficulty in seeing objects up close and severe headaches. Catching hyperopia in children early is important, as the inability to see close objects clearly may discourage your child from learning how to read, resulting in a lifetime of academic and other challenges. Hyperopia can easily be diagnosed by an eye examination by an ophthalmologist, optometrist or optician, so if you suspect you or your child may be farsighted don’t hesitate to see and eye doctor as soon as possible. Doctors will give adults a traditional eye chart exam, and children can be given an exam that uses a special camera to look at the shape of the eye. Like any disorder of vision, hyperopia can make some tasks such as driving or the operation of machinery dangerous.

There are a number of options for treating hyperopia, including the traditional eyeglasses prescription, contact lenses or refractive surgery. Refractive surgery is best suited for adults, because adolescent eyes still may change a lot between now and adulthood. Folks with mild to moderate cases of hyperopia are the best candidates for refractive surgery, although other factors like age and lifestyle may come into play.

LASIK surgery is one of the more popular options for folks with hyperopia, thanks to its high success rate and short healing time. In LASIK surgery, the doctor cuts a flap in the cornea, peels it back, uses an Excimer laser to sculpt the cornea into the appropriate shape, and then shuts the flap back. LASEK surgery uses a chemical solution to weaken the protective surface of the cornea, and then an Excimer laser is used to resculpt the cornea. LASEK is a better solution for folks with less corneal tissue to cut. Both procedures take about 15 minutes and can be performed on an outpatient basis.

To determine which procedure, if either, is right for you, consult with your eye doctor. He or she will have the training and expertise to help you weigh all the factors involved and make the right choice.