Long-sightedness (Hyperopia)

What is long-sightedness?

A person with long-sightedness or hyperopia will see more clearly in the distance, but close objects or near vision tasks will be more blurry. With higher levels of hyperopia, vision can be blurry for near and far objects¹.

Refractive Error

To understand conditions such as hyperopia, it is important to understand how the eye normally sees. As light enters the eye, it will bend or ‘refract’ when it passes through the cornea and the crystalline lens. When an eye can see clearly at all distances, it means that light has been refracted to a sharp focus point on the retina^1^. (Fig.1)

What causes long-sightedness?

Long-sightedness or hyperopia happens when the eye is shorter than normal. This shape causes images to be focused behind the retina, rather than on it^1^.(Fig.1)

Hyperopia can affect children and adults alike and in a lot of cases it is inherited^1^. Young children may even grow out of it as the shape of the eyes change as they get older. Young adults who remain long-sighted often don’t realise their condition because they have enough flexibility in focusing power from the crystalline lens, however if they perform a lot of near vision tasks, they may be at risk of eye strain. This is one of the reasons why it is important to have regular sight tests, at least every two years^2^.