Farsightedness

Alternate Names : Hyperopia, Hypermetropia

What are the treatments for the condition?

The treatment for farsightedness is usually glasses. Contact lenses or surgery are other options. Surgery is generally reserved for people under 40. Surgery for people over 40 is not usually desirable, because in order to work using current methods, the distance vision would have to be reduced. There are no nutritional or exercise treatments that restore vision after middle age, despite claims and advertisements.

What are the side effects of the treatments?

Contact lenses may irritate the eyes in some people. All surgery carries a risk of infection or reaction to pain medicines.

What happens after treatment for the condition?

If surgery is used, the condition is usually "cured." People who do not get surgery will usually need glasses or contact lenses for the rest of their lives.

How is the condition monitored?

Children and young people with this condition who require glasses should be seen for eye exams every 2 to 3 years. Middle-aged adults should also have exams every 2 to 3 years if they have no other eye disease.