The first thing we are going to do in order to know the meaning of the term hyperopia is to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can emphasize that it is a word that derives from Greek. Exactly it is the result of the sum of several lexical components of said language:
-The prefix «hyper-«, which can be translated as «above» or «on».
-The noun "metron", which is synonymous with "measurement".
-The "opsis" component, which is used to indicate "eye action."
-The suffix "-ia", which is used to indicate "quality."
Hyperopia is a vision disorder that leads the person to perceive nearby elements in a confusing way , since their image is formed behind the retina. Therefore, those who suffer from farsightedness see poorly up close .
When someone with farsightedness tries to distinguish something that is close to their eyes, they perceive it as blurry . This is due to a focusing problem: the image that should be focused on the retina is focused behind this membrane.
The causes of this defect are varied. It may be due to lower than normal optical power of the cornea or lens or the subject's eye being shorter than usual.
Hyperopia affects a large part of children when they are born due to the lack of development of the visual system. In this case we speak of physiological hyperopia . As the child grows, the defect is corrected. However, when the deficiency persists over time , hyperopia can also cause other alterations.
Difficulty focusing on close objects is a symptom of farsightedness. In any case, young people can naturally compensate for hyperopia through accommodation : the lens grows thanks to the contraction of the muscles that surround it and thus increases its power. This accommodation effort ends up causing visual fatigue, itchy eyes and even headaches.
Treatment of farsightedness includes the use of glasses ( spectacles ) or contact lenses . You can also use different surgical techniques, such as laser surgery .
Other data of interest about hyperopia are the following:
-In people over forty years of age it is common that farsightedness can be confused with what is called eyestrain.
-It can appear in two ways: alone or accompanied by astigmatism.
-In addition to seeing nearby objects blurred, those who suffer from farsightedness may manifest other symptoms such as headache, eye fatigue, eye pain...
-Currently it is considered that in Spain 30% of people suffer from farsightedness.
-Another very interesting fact about this problem in the view at hand is that it has an important hereditary factor. Hence, it is very common in people whose parents also suffer from farsightedness.
-There are people who choose lasers when it comes to solving their hyperopia problem. However, it is important to know that this intervention can be carried out in people who have a maximum of 5 diopters.