What is farsightedness and how is it corrected?

Farsightedness is a problem or refractive defect of the eye that worsens near vision, although it maintains visual acuity at long distances.

The reason for this anomaly is that objects are focused on the back of the retina rather than on the retina. An example could be the case of a farsighted patient, who will see a book or an object in his hand worse than a tree several meters away.

In turn, hyperopia can be combined with astigmatism, being a pathology that affects more children. In the case of adults, it is often confused with eyestrain or presbyopia.

Symptoms and signs of farsightedness

The most common symptoms of this refractive pathology are:

  • Headache: it is caused by the effort made throughout the day to focus without the use of some corrective devices, such as glasses or contact lenses.
  • Blurred vision of near objects: in the case of children or young patients, this symptom may be masked by the eye’s ability to accommodate.
  • Eye fatigue: this is caused by tasks that require near vision. An example would be working in front of a computer screen.
  • Red eyes: caused by overexertion throughout the day.
  • Strabismus: the action of adjusting the eyes in order to focus on near objects.

How is farsightedness corrected?

Farsightedness can be corrected using glasses and contact lenses. However, the solution is temporary, and the definitive treatment would be refractive surgery.

The use of laser or the implantation of intraocular lenses avoids or reduces -in some occasions- the use of glasses and contact lenses.

To correct farsightedness, a personalized diagnosis is necessary in which the ophthalmologist will determine which treatment is indicated. In the case of Intralase refractive surgery, it should be noted that it is 100% laser surgery that does not use manual procedures, and it is a completely safe process to treat all types of refractive problems, such as farsightedness.

Read Now 👉  New lens for patients affected by AMD

What are the differences between farsightedness and presbyopia?

There is some confusion between these two refractive problems, so it is important to differentiate between presbyopia and hyperopia.

In both pathologies there are problems to focus sharply on objects that are close, but their origin or cause is different in each one of them.

  • Hyperopia: the refractive problem is associated with images being focused behind the retina.
  • Presbyopia: this is a refractive problem whose cause is associated with aging. In this case, as the years go by, the tissues of the eye -like all of them- age, so that the lens of the eye loses elasticity, which prevents it from gradually accommodating in the same way it did during youth.

By way of summary, it should be said that farsightedness may be a congenital or hereditary problem, while presbyopia or eyestrain will be a problem that virtually everyone will experience during their lifetime.

It should be noted that presbyopia can be corrected by presbyopia surgery, which allows a significant improvement in the patient’s quality of life. In addition, when the crystalline lens is replaced by an intraocular lens, cataracts are prevented from appearing in the future.

At Ophtalteam Madrid we have state-of-the-art technology for the correction of refractive problems.