5 Signs That You Are Farsighted

Also known as hyperopia, farsightedness is a condition wherein you can clearly see objects that are far away and then have blurry vision when looking at things up close. It is caused by a flat cornea or an eyeball that is shorter than normal. Generally, if your parents are farsighted, you are likely to be farsighted as well.

In this post, your trusted eye doctor at Opti-Care shares tips on how to recognize farsightedness. We also share some information on how it can be treated and prevented.

How to Tell if You’re Farsighted

Here are five quick steps on how to tell if you’re farsighted:

1. Observe whether you see things clearly when they’re close to you or if you see better when they are far. In cases of extreme farsightedness, however, you may not be able to focus clearly on anything that is far or near.
2. If you usually experience eye fatigue and find it more difficult to see things up close by the end of the day, you may be suffering from farsightedness. You may be rubbing your eyes a lot and straining your eyes to have better focus.
3. When you’re constantly straining your eyes to have clearer focus, you may experience chronic headaches that can sometimes be accompanied by burning or aching around the eyes. This happens because your eyes are working extra hard to accommodate farsightedness.
4. Notice how far away you hold papers, documents or books in order to read them clearly. If you tend to hold them far away from your eyes because you don’t see the text clearly up close, this could be a sign of farsightedness.
5. If you’re frequently squinting to see more clearly or if you struggle to see well in low-light environments, this could be a sign of a refractive error such as farsightedness.

Treatment

Using prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses is the simplest way to correct farsightedness. However, in children, farsightedness usually does not need to be corrected since their eyes’ lenses are still flexible, meaning their eyes can compensate for farsightedness on their own. An eye doctor may only prescribe eyeglasses for a child if their vision is severely affected, there is a big difference in vision between their eyes, or if they are developing strabismus.

In some cases of farsightedness in adults, refractive surgery such as LASIK may be recommended. LASIK is more commonly used as a treatment for nearsightedness, but it can also treat farsightedness. This procedure uses a laser to change the cornea’s curvature, enabling the light to refract correctly and project a focused image on the retina.

Opti-Care has been providing quality eye care since 1982. We offer a range of services including dry eye treatments, corneal refractive therapy, LASIK and diabetic co-management, and more. Call us at (410) 795-8670 or fill out our contact form to request an appointment. We serve customers in Westminster, MD, and the surrounding areas.