Farsighted vs. Nearsighted

Good vision is something everybody wants. It can impact daily activities, work performance, favorite pastimes, and even working out.

Close to 40 percent of the population in the United States is diagnosed with myopia (nearsightedness), making it one of the most prevalent refractive conditions. 

Myopia is a refractive error that leads to problems with an inability to focus on objects or images that are not close to the eye. Being nearsighted means that you can see at near but far away is blurry without spectacle correction.

Overtime, people can develop extreme, moderate, or minor myopia. People who have myopia can generally see pretty well with near vision but have problems seeing far-away items, such as road signs while driving, chalkboards at work or in the classroom, or movie screens.

Hyperopia, often referred to as farsightedness, is among the most frequently treated types of vision impairments. Around 5 – 10 percent of Americans have hyperopia. Generally, hyperopia means you can see far away but have more trouble seeing up close. With higher amounts of farsightedness or with age, being farsighted makes it difficult to see at both distance and near without spectacle correction.

This condition can make hobbies and tasks, like sewing and vacuuming, challenging. Much like nearsightedness, the severity of hyperopia can be diagnosed as slight to significant and will often lead to other unwanted symptoms that can bother you on a day-to-day basis. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to handle your hyperopia.

Surgical options for both include LASIK, ZEISS SMILE, ICL (Implantable Contact Lens), Cataract surgery, and Refractive Lens Exchange to correct nearsightedness and farsightedness. 

If you have questions regarding nearsightedness and farsightedness, contact us to learn mo re. Our professional, experienced doctors at Wang Vision Institute are here to help you achieve better vision and overall eye health.  

Learn more about myopia and hyperopia at our next FREE Vision Webinar every Tuesday starting at 7 p.m. CST. Our doctors can answer any and all your questions.