Farsightedness: Symptoms and Treatment

Farsightedness—also known as hyperopia—is a common refractive error in which you see distant objects more clearly than those close up. This occurs because light entering the eye focuses behind the retina, as opposed to directly on it, making nearby details appear blurry or out of focus.

Commonly diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, hyperopia may also go unnoticed—even for years—as the eyes adjust to compensate for the refractive error. However, over time, the extra effort required to see without assistance can lead to a number of difficulties with close-up work like reading and using handheld devices.

In many cases, people with mild farsightedness may not even realize they have hyperopia until they begin to struggle with everyday activities, such as holding menus at arm’s length to see the tiny print, squinting while browsing on their phone, or experiencing headaches after long periods of desk work. These issues may begin as slight inconveniences, but can gradually impact your quality of life when left unaddressed.

You Don’t Have to Live With Blurry Vision

At 20/20 Institute, we have helped thousands of Coloradoans treat their hyperopia with targeted and personalized vision correction services. If you have been diagnosed with farsightedness and are interested in learning more about long-lasting solutions, call us at 303-202-0669 to schedule a FREE LASIK evaluation at our Westminster, LoDo, DTC, or Colorado Springs location.

What Are the Symptoms of Farsightedness?

Hyperopia can present differently for each person, depending on its severity and whether other vision conditions are also at play. Symptoms to watch for include:

• Blurred vision when reading or viewing objects up close.
• Frequent headaches or eyestrain, especially after prolonged tasks that require near vision.
• Squinting or needing to hold objects farther away to see them clearly.
• Excessive or frequent blinking when working on close-up tasks.
• Tension and fatigue around the eyes.
• Difficulty focusing your eyes during tasks that require near vision.
• Excessive tearing even when not performing up-close work.

Farsightedness can also result in hand-eye coordination problems, making it a significant issue for people who participate in sports or work in industries—such as the building trades—where even the smallest vision imperfection can cause problems.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of farsightedness, it’s a good idea to have your eyes checked right away. You do not need to try to adjust to your vision difficulties. Living with farsightedness can be a hassle. Treating it, on the other hand, is a relatively simple endeavor.

At 20/20 Institute, our LASIK doctors have the tools and technology to correct even the most pronounced refractive errors. During your free LASIK candidacy evaluation, we will carefully assess your vision problem to determine how best to help you achieve your goals.

How Is Farsightedness Detected?

Detecting hyperopia usually involves a comprehensive eye exam. This may include a visual acuity test, such as reading an eye chart, refractive tests using specialized equipment, and other tests, including pupil dilation, that allow for a clear view of your eye’s inner workings. Your medical history may also be required during this diagnostic period. Taking a comprehensive approach to diagnosing farsightedness helps to ensure that any degree of hyperopia—or another visual issue—is accurately diagnosed. Once farsightedness is diagnosed, you are free to explore the treatment options that will most help to enhance your vision and restore visual comfort.

What Are the Best Treatments for Hyperopia?

The most common treatment for farsightedness is eyeglasses. Straightforward and largely accessible, eyeglasses help to magnify nearby objects, reducing strain and producing greater visual clarity. They can also easily be adjusted if your prescription changes. However, eyeglasses—even discount options—are expensive, particularly over time. They also have to be kept track of, cleaned, and carefully transported to avoid scratching or breaking.

Contact lenses for farsightedness ease the burden of keeping track of and maintaining eyeglasses, but not everyone with hyperopia is a good candidate for them. Contacts also require special cleaning and care to prevent issues as diverse as cloudy vision and eye infections. They can be misplaced or fall out at inopportune times, and the lifetime cost can be staggering.

Refractive Surgery for Farsightedness

Procedures like LASIK for hyperopia reshape the cornea so that light is focused correctly onto (not behind) the retina. By altering the eye’s curvature, LASIK helps to produce clearer vision without the assistance of eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Glasses and contacts for farsightedness are kind of like magnifying glasses. You place them over your eyes and they enlarge those objects closest to you. Useful when worn, as soon as you remove the magnification, you are left with your original vision difficulties.

LASIK is different. Adjusting the shape of the cornea can produce stable vision for decades. This provides freedom from constant dependence on prescription eyewear, improving convenience and enhancing your experiences for several years.

Benefits of treating farsightedness with LASIK include:

• Fast and Efficient. The procedure typically only takes minutes per eye.
• Quick Recovery. Most people notice improved vision within a day.
• High Satisfaction Rate. Most patients experience a significant reduction in the need for glasses and contacts.

At 20/20 Institute, 99.67% of our LASIK patients have achieved 20/20 vision OR BETTER.

It is important to remember that, while LASIK is widely considered to be a safe and effective treatment for farsightedness, not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK. Factors such as the severity of farsightedness, corneal thickness, overall eye health, and the stability of your prescription will all play a role in whether you qualify. In addition, certain medical conditions and lifestyle habits will influence the healing process, making it essential that you disclose your full medical history with your eye doctor when trying to determine candidacy.

20/20 Institute Can Help Treat Farsightedness

The doctors and staff at 20/20 Institute understand that every pair of eyes is unique. We utilize advanced, bladeless, custom LASIK technology to ensure each procedure is tailored to correct various levels of refractive error with absolute precision. Along with our surgeon’s skill and experience, our technology plays a role in our exceptional LASIK outcomes, helping to keep our patients safe, improve the recovery experience, and ensure the most predictable and reliable results.

We strive to provide an exceptional patient experience. Enhancing your LASIK journey through comfort, convenience, and authentic care, we do everything possible to give you the confidence, knowledge, and support you need before, during, and long after your procedure. A full year of follow-up care is included in the cost of your procedure, enabling us to monitor your progress, address any questions, and make sure your experience is as rewarding as possible.

And speaking of costs, 20/20 Institute offers Colorado’s best price on LASIK. If you are quoted a lower price from a provider that uses the same advanced technology, we will adjust our refinement and follow-up provisions to match theirs and honor the lower price you were quoted. That’s our Best Price Guarantee.

20/20 Institute is a doctor-owned and operated practice with deep ties to the communities we serve. We love this state and all it has to offer, and are proud to help others enjoy its beauty without the need for glasses and contact lenses. If you are considering a lasting solution for your hyperopia, check out our hundreds of genuine 5-star reviews on Google and other platforms to see what makes us one of Colorado’s best LASIK providers.

Learn if LASIK Can Treat Your Farsightedness

Are you ready to find out if LASIK is the right solution for your farsightedness? Contact us online or call 303-202-0669 today to schedule your FREE LASIK evaluation. Don’t let hyperopia hold you back. We can help you see the world (near and far) more clearly.