Health & Fitness

Eyes: Farsighted Correction

The most common belief is that farsightedness (hyperopia) is caused by the eyeball being too short, from front to back. In some cases the cornea can be too flat or have too little curvature. In these types of cases, the treatments would involve prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses that are convex. Convex lenses would help bend the light correctly to compensate for the refractive error, and the focus would then be put directly on the retina. Patients who do not have any other eye problems, such as astigmatism, may only need to wear reading glasses.

There are studies which show that children who experience hyperopia grow out of it. This raises some curiosity among theorists who look for other causes of the eye condition. Some believe eye problems, such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism may be a result of weak eye muscles. In this theory, the muscles can become weakened if they are not frequently used. For example, with farsightedness, if a person does not read often, use a computer or work on crafts that require close up vision, they may be focusing more on distant objects.

This may cause the muscles to be weaker when focusing on objects that are near. The same theory goes for the opposite, or when a nearsighted person practices excessive reading or computer work. People who believe in this theory suggest working out the muscles to help them grow stronger and improve vision for all distances. There are several eye exercises suggested for improving eyesight naturally, without the aid of surgery or corrective lenses.

Surgery Correction for Farsightedness
Other treatment alternatives include various eye surgeries. One method is photo-reactive keratectomy, also called PRK. This surgery involves flattening the cornea to allow the light rays to refract closer to or directly on the retina. Lasik surgery is another laser method where corneal tissue is also removed. In this type of surgery, a flap is cut open on top of the cornea, and then a portion of corneal tissue is removed beneath the flap. The flap is then placed back in place.