Nearsightedness and farsightedness are common vision problems that can affect people of all ages. They may make it necessary for you to wear glasses or contacts to correct your vision. Although it’s most common to have just one of these issues, it’s possible to be nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other.
Read on to learn more about these common vision issues and how you can correct them:
What Are Nearsightedness and Farsightedness?
Nearsightedness, also called myopia, occurs when light focuses in front of your retina rather than on it. This issue can happen if your eyeball is elongated or your cornea is too curved. As a result, you have trouble seeing faraway objects clearly.
Farsightedness, also known as hyperopia, occurs when your eyeball is too short or your cornea doesn’t curve enough. This problem causes light to focus behind your retina. You’ll then have trouble seeing close-up objects clearly.
What Are the Symptoms?
Nearsightedness can make your vision seem blurry when you’re looking at objects far away. You may find yourself squinting to see clearly and have trouble seeing well when you’re driving. Struggling to see far away objects can lead to eye strain, causing your eyes to feel tired or uncomfortable.
Farsightedness can make focusing on close objects difficult and make it difficult to read. You may also have inaccurate depth perception and symptoms of eye strain.
Both nearsightedness and farsightedness can result in headaches due to the strain placed on your eyes. However, you are more likely to experience headaches if you are farsighted.
Who Is at Risk?
Nearsightedness, which is more common than farsightedness, may be linked to genetics. You’re also more likely to have a higher risk of developing nearsightedness when you’re a child or teenager, and the risk may rise if you spend a lot of time looking at close-up screens like smartphones and tablets. As an adult, you may have a higher risk of developing nearsightedness if you have diabetes.
Farsightedness can occur at any age but is most often seen in people who are over age 45. It has been linked to genetics.
What Treatments Are Available?
Your ophthalmologist can test your eyes to determine if you’re nearsighted or farsighted. Glasses or contact lenses can help you see clearly. LASIK surgery can also be an option to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness.
The Takeaway
Nearsightedness and farsightedness affect many people and make it more difficult to see far away (nearsightedness) and close up (farsightedness). If you have one of these conditions, you may notice symptoms such as squinting, eye strain, or headaches. When left untreated, both conditions can make it difficult to go about your routine safely and comfortably. Fortunately, a visit to your ophthalmologist will lead to an accurate diagnosis as well as options to correct the problem.
If you need a regular eye exam or are experiencing vision problems, contact Atlantic Eye Consultants today. We’re devoted to improving your eyesight so you can enjoy better vision and an improved quality of life.