Hyperopia and Aging
Hyperopia is the technical term for farsightedness, the inability to
see objects that are close to the eyes. It occurs when the eyeball is
too small, causing light rays to focus behind the retina instead of
directly on it.
About one in four people in the U.S. are diagnosed with hyperopia.
Children are often born with hyperopia that exists only until their
eyeballs lengthen to normal size. Children's eyes also learn to compensate
for mild hyperopia - a function called accommodation. In adults with
hyperopia, however, aging diminishes the ability to accommodate, thereby
causing the condition to worsen with age. Roughly half of all persons
over age 65 have some degree of hyperopia that requires treatment with
glasses, contacts or surgery.
Hyperopia differs from presbyopia, another age-related problem with
farsightedness. Common in people age 40 and older, presbyopia is not
related to the shape of the eyeball. Rather it occurs with aging, when
the eye's lens begins to lose flexibility. Unlike hyperopia, presbyopia
may still exist after laser surgery.
For more information on hyperopia and aging, please contact us. Select
your state below for a consultation.
