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Long Sightedness2022-03-07T09:57:44+00:00

Long-sightedness (hyperopia) can make it difficult to focus on objects close up

We can correct this common eye problem with the latest vision correction treatments

Long-sightedness (hyperopia) can make it difficult to focus on objects close up

We can correct this common eye problem with the latest vision correction treatments

What does your suitability depend on?

Dr Ring shares what he looks for when he assesses you for laser eye surgery, and which type that might be best for you

Fix your long-sightedness and be free from glasses and contacts

Discover more about this condition and how to treat it

Long-Sightedness incidence / prevalence

Long-sightedness can affect people of all ages. Approximately 10% of adults have long-sightedness. Not all people with long-sightedness need glasses or contact lenses to correct it.

Long-sightedness – also known as hyperopia or farsightedness – makes it difficult to focus on objects close up.

Many people confuse long-sightedness with short-sightedness. Long-sightedness does not affect your distance vision, but it does affect your ability to focus on near objects.

Age-related long-sightedness is called presbyopia and relates to a stiffening of the eye’s lens. Both types of long-sightedness are perfectly normal and easily treated.

Symptoms

If you find it difficult to focus on things close up, or if objects near to you appear blurry, it could be a sign that you suffer from long-sightedness. Distance vision in long-sighted people generally remains clear.

Long-sightedness makes reading difficult, particularly if the type is small. You may find yourself often squinting or holding books and newspapers at arm’s length so that you can focus on the text.

Many long-sighted people suffer sore and tired eyes from over-straining them in the effort to view things close up. Headaches from eye strain are also a common symptom among people with long-sightedness.

To understand long-sightedness, it first helps to know how the eye works.

Long-sightedness is a refractive error caused by an imperfection in the eye. The imperfection changes the way your eye focuses the light rays that pass into it. This can happen when:

  • The eyeball is shorter than normal
  • The cornea is less curved than normal
  • The lens is thinner than normal

When any of these imperfections occur, it changes the eye’s focusing point so that light rays focus behind your retina instead of onto it. This makes close-up objects look blurry. Distance objects still appear clear because they don’t need as much focusing power, so they focus on your retina properly.

Hyperopia is an inherited condition, which means you’re more likely to suffer long-sightedness if one of your parents has it. Hyperopia can develop in childhood, although symptoms are most common among adults.

Presbyopia

Presbyopia is age-related long-sightedness.

An optometrist or eye doctor can diagnose long-sightedness during a routine eye examination.

People with long-sightedness generally have good vision aside from the refractive error.

Traditionally, many people treat their refractive error with glasses and contacts. However, for permanent vision correction and freedom from the hassles of glasses and contacts, laser vision correction is an excellent option.

What are my options for correcting severe long-sightedness?

Glasses or contact lenses are, of course, an option. But, if you live an active lifestyle, you may want to consider laser vision correction or implantable contact lenses.

Can eye drops cure long-sightedness?

There are no eye drops that can cure long-sightedness.

Will Long sightedness get worse with time?

Long-sightedness does tend to progress in adults due to the normal ageing process of the eye. However, the correctly powered vision correction device (glasses or contacts) or vision correction surgery allows most people to retain great vision.

What happens if you leave severe longsightedness untreated?

If untreated, longsightedness can lead to headaches, eye strain, squinting, frequent blinking, difficulty working on a computer or reading.

Discover if you could be free from glasses and contacts

Everyone deserves a life free from glasses and contacts, but not everyone is suitable. The best way to find out if vision correction is right for you is to book a free laser assessment. You’ll get a clear and honest answer on your suitability and treatment options.

Discover if you could be free from glasses and contacts

Everyone deserves a life free from glasses and contacts, but not everyone is suitable. The best way to find out if vision correction is right for you is to book a free laser assessment. You’ll get a clear and honest answer on your suitability and treatment options.

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3 easy steps to free yourself from glasses and contacts

Laser vision correction options can be confusing. We’ve made the journey as straightforward as can be

Get in touch

Not everyone is suitable for laser eye surgery. The first step is to get a clear answer on whether laser eye surgery can help you or not. Give our friendly team a call on 0800 99 2020 or use our easy online calendar to book a free laser assessment.

We’ll meet

At your assessment, we’ll answer your questions and give you a clear and honest recommendation based on your lifestyle. You’ll leave with a  confident understanding of the best eye treatment option for your unique eyes.

Enjoy freedom

After treatment, New Zealanders across the country tell us how surprised they are by how quickly their life changed. They also mention that they wish they had done it years earlier! When people say yes to eye treatment, they say yes to a new life, free from the limitation of glasses and contacts!

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Additional resources on treating long-sightedness

Follow the links below to learn more about treating long-sightedness from authoritative sources.

Short sightedness is the most common refractive error among children and young adults worldwide.

Also called myopia, short sightedness occurs in 30 to 40 percent of adults in the United States and Europe, and in up to 80 percent of the Asian population. The prevalence of myopia has been increasing rapidly in recent decades, and it’s been predicted that by the year 2050, about half of the world’s population will be shortsighted. Click here to read more.

Astigmatism is a common condition in which the surface of the eye, or cornea, is not curved in the normal way, leading to blurred vision.

The abnormal curve of the cornea means that when light enters the eye, it is not correctly focused on the retina, resulting in an unclear image.

Astigmatism may also be caused by an irregularly shaped lens, located behind the cornea. Click here to read more.

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