What Is Hyperopia?
From a purely optical point of view, hyperopia is the opposite of myopia. The eye sees objects more blurred the closer they get. Hyperopia is manifested by a difficulty in clearly distinguishing objects that are close at hand, and headaches and ocular stress.
In cases of hyperopia, light rays are concentrated on a point behind the retina, creating a situation in which near objects are blurred. This occurs when the eye is too short, or the cornea is too flat.
In cases of hyperopia, constant over-accommodation (the act of making one’s eyes work so they “auto-focus” and avoid blurred vision) can lead to visual fatigue and is often manifested by early presbyopia. Strong hyperopia can be associated with other eye impairments, which can result in severe complications, such as acute glaucoma.
Hyperopia affects approximately 25 percent of the population. All children with normal vision at the end of their ocular growth (10-12 years) were unknowingly hyperopic at one time. In fact, a certain degree of hyperopia is necessary in children: This is physiological hyperopia as opposed to ametropia hyperopia.
