Long-sightedness vs Short-sightedness 

Long-sightedness and short-sightedness – the two most common eye conditions. There are significant differences between these two conditions that affect the majority of people, particularly as they age. If you suffer from either of these problems, you may need corrective treatment, such as glasses or contact lenses.

In this blog post, we aim to explain what long and short-sightedness mean, and how they occur.

What is long-sightedness? 

Also known as hypermetropia or hyperopia, this affects your ability to see objects close to you. They can seem to be out of focus and difficult to define. If you are long-sighted, light that comes into the eye is unable reach the  back of the eye because:

• The eyeball is too short

• The cornea is too flat

• The lens cannot focus properly

People with this condition can find activities such as reading, using a phone or doing detailed close work very challenging. Even watching TV or doing tasks on a computer screen will become more difficult, with your eyes regularly becoming fatigued.

Eventually, you will find yourself having to squint to regain focus. Or, you may hold things – a phone or document, for example – further away from you to try and read it more clearly. Long-sightedness can have a genetic cause or be age-related (presbyopia).

What is short-sightedness 

As you would imagine this condition, called myopia, is the exact opposite of long-sightedness. The focus issue here is difficulty seeing distant objects clearly. Activities such as driving or watching a sports game, can become problematic. 

Shortsightedness often runs in families and tends to start in childhood or teenage years. This again means that the eye is unable to focus light onto the retina properly because the eye is longer from front to back. You may get headaches if you regularly close work and you may start to rub your eyes frequently.

Uncorrected myopia can, in the case of driving, be a more serious and even dangerous issue. Driving while visually impaired can make it harder to spot hazards, which could put you or other road users at risk. 

What to do if you experience problems with your vision

Both conditions are diagnosed during routine eye examinations by your optician or optometrist. Therefore, the first thing you should do if you are worried about your vision is to call us at R Woodfall and make an appointment for an eye test.

Once we establish the extent of your vision problems, we can discuss with you a range of corrective options. 

Short-sightedness can also be treated with treatments that slow its progression, known as myopia management. In children, treatments can involve spending more time outdoors or wearing specially designed lenses.

Corrective lenses can be useful for long-sightedness, even correcting the condition if used early enough. However, you must seek help early, as without treatment, long-sightedness could lead to other conditions developing, such as a squint or lazy eye. 

If you’re struggling, please contact us today and look forward to clear vision once again.

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