Eye health can be overwhelming at times. There are an array of different terminology and definitions when it comes to eyes and their potential conditions, and it can feel very difficult to grasp if you’re not an optometrist yourself. If you’ve heard the word hyperopia before, you may have some questions about what it means and if you could have it. Here’s a short guide from our experts, telling you what you should know.
What is Hyperopia?
While hyperopia can feel like a very big and intimidating word, it literally refers to farsightedness. Hyperopia is just the medical terminology for when an individual can see objects far away with no difficulties but struggles to see objects up close to them. It’s likely that you’ve heard the term nearsightedness before, but perhaps not the medical definition.
What Causes Hyperopia?
Hyperopia or farsightedness is caused by a refractive error in the eye, essentially meaning that the way the eye lets in light is warped. If you have perfect vision, when light hits your cornea, it works alongside your eye’s lens to bend the light to perfectly reach your eye’s retina, thus giving you the ability to see the image clearly. Hyperopia, however, refers to when the shape of your eye is not conducive to the process, causing light to focus in the wrong direction, and making the image blurry.
Symptoms of Hyperopia
If you feel as though you may have hyperopia, the only way to know for sure is to have your eyes properly examined by an optometrist. However, there are signs that may indicate that you have the condition including:
- Blurry vision
- Eye strain
- Headaches
- Squinting
- Difficulty with up-close tasks like reading
The Importance of Eye Exams
The best way to quickly treat and diagnose hyperopia in the early stages is to schedule regular eye exams. Adults between the age of 20 and 64 should be scheduling eye exams once every two years to adjust their prescription, catch eye conditions early, and treat potential eye and bodily diseases like diabetes. If you haven’t had an eye exam in the last two years, we recommend that you take the time today to schedule one to ensure your eye health and safety, as well as your own comfort.
Is it time for you to book your next eye exam?
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