Eye Health Exams & Procedures Hyperopia (Farsightedness): An Overview By Troy Bedinghaus, OD Troy Bedinghaus, OD LinkedIn Troy L. Bedinghaus, OD, board-certified optometric physician, owns Lakewood Family Eye Care in Florida. He is an active member of the American Optometric Association. Learn about our editorial process Updated on May 17, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Steven Gans, MD Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD Steven Gans, MD, is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Symptoms Causes Diagnoses Treatment Farsightedness, or hyperopia, is a condition where distant objects are easier to see than near objects. It is a common eye problem. In severe cases of hyperopia, distant objects may appear blurry as well. If your eye doctor suggests you are farsighted, what does it really mean? Verywell / Ellen Lindner Hyperopia Symptoms Hyperopia symptoms may include: Difficulty focusing on nearby objectsEyestrainPain around the eyesA headache around the forehead Headaches often occur because most people are able to compensate for farsighted vision by subconsciously focusing harder. See an eyecare provider if any of these symptoms cause daily discomfort or make it hard for you to complete certain tasks. Unfortunately, because of this ability to compensate, many children with hyperopia often pass vision screenings that use an eye chart given by schools and pediatricians. It is for this reason that it is important that all children have a complete exam with a photo screener or other similar tool fairly early in life. Farsighted vs. Nearsighted Farsightedness can sometimes be confused with nearsightedness, also called myopia. People who are nearsighted, however, have the opposite problem as farsighted people. Nearsighted people can see objects up close but have a harder time seeing distant objects. Hyperopia Causes Hyperopia is caused by a defect of the eyeball. The eyeball of a farsighted person is shorter than normal, causing light to be focused behind the retina instead of directly on it. In some cases, the eye may be of normal length, but the cornea may be flatter than normal. Hyperopia is not the same as astigmatism. Astigmatism is also related to the shape of the eye, but it's caused by an abnormally curved cornea and the blurring can be in either close or distant vision. How Hyperopia is Diagnosed Farsightedness is detected by a simple test called refraction. Young people are dilated during this test so they are unable to mask their farsightedness by accommodating their vision. Farsightedness is usually detected early in life. Hyperopia Treatment If you are farsighted, glasses or contact lenses can help correct the problem. In more severe cases, hyperopia treatment may include surgery such as an ocular implant or LASIK vision correction. Not everyone who is farsighted needs glasses, especially children. Many children are born with hyperopia but usually outgrow it as the eyeball grows longer. Glasses are often reserved for children with moderate hyperopia and accommodative esotropia (a form of "cross-eye") or reduced visual acuity. There is insufficient evidence to recommend that all children with moderate hyperopia alone should wear glasses. Farsightedness is often confused with presbyopia. Although presbyopia may also create problems focusing on things at a close range, it is caused by the gradual loss in flexibility of the eye's natural lens. Presbyopia affects most people around 40 years of age. Reading glasses or bifocals are generally prescribed for patients with presbyopia A Word From Verywell Don't be discouraged if you are told that you are farsighted. Farsightedness is easily treated with glasses or contact lenses. Refractive surgery is an option for adult patients who wish to see clearly without wearing glasses. If you are farsighted, you may only need to wear glasses for reading or working on the computer. Depending on your age and the amount of farsightedness, you may have to wear them all of the time. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 5 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Optometric Association. Hyperopia (farsightedness). iScreen Vision. Pediatric hyperopia vision testing. National Eye Institute. Refractive errors. Lambert SR. Should glasses be prescribed for all children with moderate hyperopia? Ophthalmology. April 2016;123(4):676-678. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2015.12.035. VSP Vision Care. Are you suffering from presbyopia or farsightedness?