November 2025 Newsletter: Hyperopia

What is Hyperopia (Farsightedness)?

In a nutshell, hyperopia is a condition where objects that are far away appear to be clear while objects that are close-up appear to be blurry. It is a refractive error (which is defined as vision changes that occur from how your eye bends light). Hyperopia is generally manageable and can be corrected. 

Symptoms:

• General blurry vision

• Fatigue and blurred vision at night

• Difficulty reading (Squinting and/or double vision)

• Dull pain in eye

• Eye strain

• Red eyes after a long period of time

• Headache

Causes:

The most common causes are having a cornea (clear, protective outer layer) that is flatter than expected or having decreased axial length (where an eyeball is shorter in length than normal from the front to back). If these occur, they can throw off the balance of light entering your eye at a certain angle. Light may begin to enter without hitting the retina (under-focused light rays). This directly causes blurry vision for close-up objects.

Classifications:

• Axial Hyperopia: 

  • Occurs when the optical axis is shortened.

• Index Hyperopia: 

  • Occurs when there is a change in the refractive index of the eye lens.

• Secondary Hyperopia: 

  • Occurs when another condition such as cataracts or glaucoma affects the eye.

• Positional Hyperopia: 

  • Occurs when the eye muscles can’t hold the eyeball in the accurate position.

• Compound Hyperopia:

  • Occurs when the cornea becomes too flat.

• Low Hyperopia:

  • Hyperopia is categorized by a degree of refractive error through diopters. Low is +2.00 D or less.

• Moderate Hyperopia:

  • Hyperopia is categorized by a degree of refractive error through diopters. Moderate is +2.25 D to +5.00 D.

• High Hyperopia:

  • Hyperopia is categorized by a degree of refractive error through diopters. High is +5.25 D or more.

Genetics:

Researchers do believe that hyperopia relates to genetics and that a family history of farsightedness can increase your risk of developing it as a child or later in life. 

Getting Treated:

• Surgery: 

  • LASIK eye surgery uses lasers to reshape corneas and can be used for individuals with a lower hyperopia degree. Refractive lens exchange procedures replace your natural lens and can be used for individuals with a higher hyperopia degree.

• Eyeglasses:

  • Eyeglass lenses can change the way that light focuses on your retina which can help to relieve symptoms. Convex lenses are used to converge light rays to bring them to the focal point on the retina.

• Contact lenses: 

  • These lenses can also change the way that light bends, but they go directly on your eyeball. They may be more uncomfortable than eyeglasses to some people. Convex lenses are used to converge light rays to bring them to the focal point on the retina.

Physical Examination:

Diagnosis of hyperopia typically involves:

• Visual acuity test

• Refraction test

• Dilated eye exam

• Retinoscopy

• Slit-lamp examination

Prevent Exposure:

Key thing to know! Hyperopia doesn’t spread like a disease that is contagious. However, its symptoms can worsen over time!

Hyperopia is not uncommon, but steps can be taken to protect overall eye health. Continue to learn and spread your knowledge on eye conditions and their symptoms to keep yourself and others aware. Don’t wait for your symptoms to get worse if you begin experiencing them. Get your eyes checked!