Treatment options for farsightedness start with understanding how hyperopia affects your vision. When nearby objects appear blurry but distant ones stay clear, you’re not alone—millions live with this standard refractive error. Various solutions can restore crisp, comfortable close-up vision from simple eyeglasses to advanced laser eye surgery. Here’s what you need to know to choose the best treatment option.
What Is Farsightedness?
Farsightedness (hyperopia) occurs when the eye’s shape causes light to focus behind the retina instead of on it. As a result, close objects look blurry while distant objects remain sharp. Hyperopia affects about 5–10% of people and can strike at any age, differing from age-related presbyopia that typically begins after 40.
Refractive error also occurs when the light focuses behind the retina but not on it. In this case, the beams travel to the back of the retina before the lens and cornea have properly bent them. Either way, these changes cause distant objects to appear blurred.
Light refracts through an uneven, rough lens or cornea, exacerbating other refractive errors, including myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.
What are the Symptoms of Farsightedness?
If you’re farsighted, your eyes must work hard to see anything up close, causing eyestrain. This is the main symptom. However, most don’t realize what’s happening until other symptoms kick in.
These include:
- Blurry vision for words or objects up close
- Squinting to see better
- Aching farsightedness
- General eye discomfort
You may experience a headache after completing tasks that require close-up concentration. This may include drawing or reading.
Also, strabismus (crossed eyes) can develop in children when significant farsightedness is not diagnosed and corrected.
What are the Causes of Hyperopia?
As aforementioned, farsightedness is caused by improper light refraction in the eyes. Farsightedness may also be inherited. People born with this condition can focus on distant objects during childhood. However, it may become more difficult to focus as time passes and even foreign objects may become obscured. Farsightedness can be caused by:
- Diabetes
- Tumors
- Fovea hypoplasia, also known as macular hypoplasia, is a rare medical condition characterized by the macula’s underdevelopment
Eyeglasses: The Simple First Step
Eyeglasses remain the most straightforward way to correct hyperopia. Prescription lenses adjust incoming light so it focuses directly on your retina.
-
How It Works: Convex lenses bend light inward, compensating for your eye’s shape.
-
Benefits:
-
Noninvasive and easily updated as your vision changes
-
Wide variety of frame styles and lens coatings (anti-glare, UV protection)
-
Minimal adaptation period
-
Ask your eye care professional for an up-to-date refraction and lens recommendations tailored to your lifestyle.
Contact Lenses for Farsightedness
Contact lenses float on the cornea, offering an alternative to glasses with a wider field of vision.
Types of Contact Lenses:
-
Soft Lenses: Flexible, comfortable, and available in daily or extended-wear options.
-
Rigid Gas-Permeable (RGP): Firmer lenses that maintain shape and allow oxygen flow.
-
Monovision: One lens corrects distance vision, the other near vision, letting your brain blend the images.
Benefits:
-
Natural, unobstructed vision
-
Less lens-edge glare than glasses
-
Cosmetic options, including tinted or colored lenses
Ensure proper lens hygiene and follow your doctor’s wearing schedule to avoid irritation.
Laser Eye Surgery for Farsightedness
For a long-term correction, laser eye surgery reshapes the cornea to focus light correctly on the retina. Two leading procedures include:
LASIK Surgery
-
A suction ring stabilizes your eye.
-
A thin corneal flap is created and lifted.
-
An excimer laser sculpts the underlying tissue.
-
The flap is repositioned—no stitches needed.
Benefits:
-
Quick, outpatient procedure (15–30 minutes)
-
Rapid visual recovery—most see improvement within 24 hours
-
High patient satisfaction
PRK Surgery
-
The cornea’s surface layer (epithelium) is gently removed.
-
Laser reshapes the cornea underneath.
-
The epithelium regenerates over several days.
Benefits:
-
Ideal for thinner corneas or dry-eye sufferers
-
Comparable long-term results to LASIK
-
Slightly longer initial healing period
Clear Vision Ahead
Whether you choose eyeglasses, contact lenses, or laser eye surgery, treatment options for farsightedness can transform your daily life with sharper close-up vision.
Ready to see clearly? Schedule your comprehensive eye exam today to explore the best treatment option for your hyperopia and confidently enter a world of clear, comfortable vision.
Not Sure if LASIK is Right for You?
Take the LASIK quiz to see if you’re a good candidate for LASIK or a LASIK Alternative.
Ready to Improve Your Vision?
Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will perform a comprehensive eye examination to diagnose farsightedness. They will use a standard vision test to determine if you have hyperopia, in which you will be asked to read letters on a chart at the opposite end of the room. Schedule a comprehensive eye exam to find the best farsightedness solution for you!