You have likely heard the terms nearsightedness and farsightedness previously, but do you know what they mean? Both of these terms refer to two of the most common types of visual problems that we encounter in our eye clinic and tend to be the most common among individuals. Nearsightedness refers to people who are able to see objects clearly when they are close to them, yet objects that are farther away from them tend to be blurry. Farsightedness refers to people who are able to see objects clearly far away, but when objects get closer to them, they get blurry.
In order for vision to work correctly, your near and distance vision needs to both work properly and your focus needs to be clear. We can teach you the differences between these two types of vision, how each of them can be treated—with ease—and what your potential options are regarding your eye health. Keep reading to learn more.
Were you aware of the fact that your brain is responsible for the majority of the “seeing” that you do? In the form of light waves, UV rays hit your eyes. This light enters your eyes through the clear layer of the eyes that looks similar to that of a contact lens, which is known as the cornea. The cornea is located on top of the iris, which is the colored part of the eye. The lens of the eyes is located behind the iris. Once light hits your cornea, it reacts by bending, or refracting, the light that passes through your pupil, which is the black circle that is found at the center of the eye. The pupil and lens of the eye will alter in size and shape in order to regulate the amount of light that hits the retina. The retina is at the back of the eye, and it is considered the main player as far as it goes to seeing images. It also contains a variety of nerve calls, also referred to as rods and cones, that work to transform the light data into electrical impulses, which are then sent to the brain through the nervous system so the images can be interpreted.
As mentioned earlier, nearsightedness refers to when a person is able to see objects up close clearly, but the objects become blurry when they are far away. So, you will be able to effectively see objects that are close to you like a book that you’re reading, but you may find it difficult to read screens, road signs, and other objects if they’re far away. So, how exactly does this occur and why? Nearsightedness is considered a refractive error of your eye, and it is also the most common that individuals have. Having a refractive error means that the eye has an abnormal size or shape that makes it harder for the eye’s retina to focus light.
Myopia is the scientific name for nearsightedness. Myopia occurs when the eyeball’s too long. Due to the fact that the eyeball is longer than average, light is unable to properly focus through the cornea and lens. When you look at an object, the light rays that hit the eye end up focusing at a point in front of your retina rather than focusing directly at your retina. For that reason, objects that are farther away become blurry when compared to objects that are closer to you. The focusing distance is farther away. Nearsightedness is often also caused by the curvature of the eye’s lens. If it is too curbed, it throws off the focusing point. The risk of myopia increases a bit if there is a history of nearsightedness in the family, since genetics do play a role in the matter.
As you have already learned, farsightedness is the complete opposite of nearsightedness. Objects that are farther away from you can be seen clearly, but then when objects get closer to you, they tend to be blurry. Hyperopia is the scientific term for farsightedness. Both nearsightedness and farsightedness have something to do with the way that light focuses within the eye as well as where. When it comes to hyperopia, your eyeball is too short or there isn’t enough curvature of your lens for objects to properly focus. At some point, light will focus beyond your retina rather than in front of it or directly on the surface of the retina, resulting in blurriness up close. Hyperopia tends to be lesson common than myopia, and it is more difficult to be detected in common vision screens like the ones that are conducted routinely at schools. However, a comprehensive vision exam is able to detect farsightedness, which is why it is so crucial that you visit your eye doctor to receive a proper diagnosis.
When it comes to your eyes, there are numerous problems that could potentially go wrong. You may live most of your life with perfect vision and then suddenly have your vision change. This tends to be pretty common with age, particularly once you reach middle-age, as this is a common time for changes with vision. The good news is that a lot of eye-related issues are treatable and often correctable.
Myopia and hyperopia are two of the most common eye problems that we tend to encounter here in our office. Most of the patients that have these eye conditions can use corrective glasses or lenses to fix the problem. If you have recently noticed that you are finding it difficult to focus on objects that are far away or up close, don’t put off treatment. Give us a call at Performance Vision Inc. to schedule an appointment and clear up your vision.