Hyperopia is commonly known as “farsightedness” which is a kind of refractive error. Farsightedness is medical condition wherein distant objects can be seen clearly but nearby objects is not that much clear. Hyperopia can occur at any age young or old and the intensity vary widely. In other words, nearby objects can be blurry for some people and for others it cannot come into proper focus. Flat cornea can cause this problem and if the eyeball is short it can cause farsightedness.
Cornea and lens are vital parts of the eye. Lens is responsible for shaping and focusing the objects and cornea is a transparent layer present in front of the eye. Both these parts work together to refract and focus the light on the retina. Optic nerve is communicated by the retina which in turn sends information to the brain. You can see perfect image of the object only if the cornea, retina and lens are perfect.
If the cornea is very flat you will not be able to focus the image rightly. Farsightedness can be of any degree causing variation in clarity of close objects. Hyperopia can be corrected easily by wearing suitable glasses, contact lens or by laser assisted surgery. Refractive error occurs due to abnormal shape of the eye, varying length of the eyeball and any changes in cornea shape and due to aging.
Hyperopia Causes :
- Hyperopia can occur if the cornea is too flat. For some people it is caused by the abnormal size of eyeball. Light gets focused at the back of retina if the eyeball is short. Under normal conditions, light should get focused on the retina to get clear object of the image.
- Heredity plays a vital role in causing hyperopia.
- Aging can also cause farsightedness or hyperopia. As one grows older, the lens of the eye loses its shape leading to hyperopia.
Risk Factors :
Hyperopia or farsightedness can occur to anyone irrespective of age or sex. About 5-10% of American population has hyperopia. Individuals with family history of farsightedness are at high risk to develop this condition over age.