Hyperopia in Nashville, TN

Good vision is something everybody wants. It can impact daily activities, work performance, favorite pastimes, and even working out. Hyperopia, often referred to as farsightedness, is among the most frequently treated types of vision impairments. Around 5 – 10 percent of Americans have hyperopia. Hyperopia is characterized as the reduced ability to clearly view things that are close up, such as text in a book or photographs. This condition can make hobbies and tasks, like sewing and vacuuming, challenging. Much like nearsightedness, the severity of hyperopia can be diagnosed as slight to significant and will often lead to other unwanted symptoms that can bother you on a day-to-day basis. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to handle your hyperopia.

At Wang Vision Institute, our knowledgeable team can determine if you have hyperopia and detail your possible treatment choices. 

Patients with farsightedness may not notice the signs until their near vision starts to look fuzzy. The inability to clearly see items near the eyes is the most notable sign of being farsighted. Nevertheless, hyperopia that isn’t obvious yet or has been neglected does sometimes result in eye fatigue, also referred to as asthenopia. The extra strain on the eyes that comes from performing certain tasks, such as studying, playing video games, or using the computer, can trigger headaches, burning and sore eyes, and stiffness in the shoulders and neck. 

For the most part, hyperopia runs in the family. The impaired close-up vision of hyperopia is the result of the curve of either the eyeball itself or of the cornea. When the whole eye is compressed from front to back, it affects the curvature of the eye, leading to problems with how light hits the retina. Similarly, when the cornea is not round enough, light entering the eye can't be focused by the retina properly. In most cases, hyperopia is present at birth, though children may eventually overcome their farsightedness as their eyes continue developing. This condition is often confused with presbyopia. Both conditions affect near vision, but they are separate conditions. Presbyopia refers to the decline in near vision due to the hardening in the eye’s lens and occurs as we age, generally developing in men and women aged 40 years or more.

The tests we do to find out whether you have hyperopia are the same tests that are used to check for myopia. These basic assessments typically involve the person showing how plainly he or she can read the letters on an eye chart, as well as one or two tests to determine if light is being focused on the retinas right in the center. Each acuity test is noninvasive and completed in a short amount of time. 

Certain individuals with hyperopia may be eligible for laser vision correction, like LASIK or PRK. After your evaluation, we can tell you whether laser vision correction could be a potential option for you. For those who are eligible, refractive surgery can provide life-changing, long-lasting clear vision.

Can hyperopia get worse without treatment?

Farsightedness often starts during childhood but can get worse with age. While hyperopia may not lead to total vision loss or blindness, patients with presbyopia may notice more serious symptoms that prevent them from reading or driving.

Can farsightedness be treated without surgery?

Glasses and contact lenses can improve your vision and help you focus on objects more clearly. However, these are not ideal for athletes or very active individuals. We recommend laser surgery to address the cause of your farsightedness.

Which laser treatments help with hyperopia?

LASIK and PRK are among the safest and most effective solutions for men and women with farsightedness. Our Nashville, TN, office needs to perform an examination and confirm your hyperopia diagnosis before moving forward.