Diagnosis and treatment
What is hyperopia and why is reading up close so difficult?
What are the main things to know?
- Hyperopia (long-sightedness) - the eyes find it hard to focus on near objects
- It often shows up as tired eyes, headache and strain while reading
- In children it can go unnoticed, because young eyes compensate for mild long-sightedness on their own
- It is corrected with glasses or contact lenses selected at the consultation
How do you recognise hyperopia?
- A blurred image at a close distance
- Tired, burning eyes after reading or using the phone
- Headache in the second half of the day
Why does hyperopia develop?
Most often the cause is that the eye is shorter than it should be, and the image is focused behind the retina. The degree varies: young eyes compensate for mild hyperopia on their own, so a person may not notice the problem for a long time, until the eyes start to tire quickly.
When should you see an ophthalmologist about hyperopia?
If you have to hold text further away to read it, or if a headache appears after reading or working at a screen.
How can I help with hyperopia?
I carry out the examination, determine the degree of long-sightedness and select the correction - glasses or contact lenses - taking age and the visual load into account.
Questions patients ask most often
What do patients ask most often?
Can long-sightedness be fixed without glasses or lenses?
Optical correction - glasses or contact lenses - is the main way to compensate for hyperopia. I determine the exact degree and the best correction option at the appointment.
My child's eyes tire quickly while reading, is that hyperopia?
It may be, although tired eyes have several possible causes. For a child this is a question for a paediatric ophthalmologist - I personally see adult patients.
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