Hyperopia causes and treatments

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 2:42 pm Post in Eye Diseases

Hyperopia is an eye problem that is opposite to myopia. People with hyperopia can see distance objects clearly but have difficulty in seeing near objects. Hyperopic people may get headache and eye strain if they spend much time on close work. Without proper correction eyeglasses or contact lenses, they always squint and feel fatigue while seeing near objects.

Presbyopia also brings difficulty in seeing distance objects but it should not be confused with hyperopia. Hyperopia results from irregular eye shape, which is longer than normal ones. Clear and normal vision requires light rays to be focused directly on the retina. A longer eyeball causes light rays to focus behind the retina, so that hyperopia occurs. Children born with hyperopia may suffer from more serious eye problems since their eye length will be increased as they grow.

Just like myopia, hyperopia can also be corrected simply by eyeglasses or contact lenses with proper prescription. Convex lenses are used to help focus light rightly on the retina. The prescription of the lenses begins with positive numbers such as +1.5. Your eyeglasses or contact lenses can be part-time wear or full-time wear, depending on your prescription.

There are also refractive surgeries that can correct your irregular eye shape permanently, so that eyeglasses or contact lenses are no longer needed. Common types of these refractive surgeries include LASIK and PRK. Future hyperopia procedures involve corneal inlays and onlays.