Hyperopia Symptoms and Diagnosis: How to Tell If You Have Farsightedness

Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is when you can see things far away, but those that are closer appear blurry. Almost 14.2 million Americans aged 40 and up are farsighted, which makes up 8.4% of the population. This means one in every three people in the U.S. has hyperopia.

What Is Hyperopia?

When you have hyperopia, you can focus better on distant objects than those nearby. You will understand it better when you know how eyes usually work. The cornea and lens are the parts of the eye that help you focus. The clear front surface of the eye is the cornea. The lens is the structure inside the eye that changes shape whenever you focus on objects.

These two parts working together allow the eyes to refract or bend incoming light. The light is then focused onto the retina, the back of the eyeball. The retina receives visual information, which it sends to the optic nerve. The latter is the one responsible for carrying information to the brain.

You can focus on an image perfectly if your lens and cornea are perfectly formed and curved. If the cornea’s shape is different, then your eyes can’t focus properly. This is why people with hyperopia can see faraway things better than closer ones. Farsightedness can be corrected with prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.

What Are the Symptoms of Hyperopia?

The biggest indication that you have hyperopia is that you can’t clearly see the things near you but can clearly see those far away. As a result of this, you probably also have eye strain, which is another symptom. Due to the eye strain, you will also likely experience other symptoms, such as:
 

• Headaches

• Blurry vision for things or words up close

• Headache or fatigue when performing close-up tasks

• Always squinting to see better

• Eye pain

When you notice you’re having trouble seeing closer things, along with the other symptoms mentioned above, you should visit your eye doctor for an eye exam.

When to See a Doctor

In adults, you should probably see an eye doctor if you’re at high risk of developing certain diseases, especially if you’re over 40. On the other hand, the advice if you don’t have any eye trouble, don’t wear glasses or contacts, and have a low risk of developing eye diseases is to get an eye exam in the following intervals:
 

• First exam at 40

• Every two to four years at ages 40 to 54

• Every one to three years at ages 55 to 64

• Every one to two years, starting at age 65

You’ll need to get your eyes checked regularly if you already have a health condition affecting your eyesight, such as diabetes. In the case of children and adolescents, the eye doctor screens them at the following intervals:
 

• 6 months old

• 3 years old

• Before first grade

• Every two years during school years, public screenings, and well-child visits

How Is Hyperopia Diagnosed?

Eye doctors diagnose farsightedness with a basic eye exam. You will need to read a chart from across the room. If the result is that you have hyperopia, your doctor will use a retinoscope to look at how your retina reflects light off. They will also use a testing device called a phoropter to help them determine the best prescription for your eyeglasses or contact lenses.

If you think you have farsightedness, get checked with our professionals at Van Alstyne Eye Care. Call us at (903) 482-0090 or visit our clinic in Van Alstyne, Texas, for an eye exam.