You may have heard of nearsightedness and farsightedness before, but, what are they? It can be easy to get these two terms mixed up. Near and farsightedness are some of the most common issues our patients at iSight Optometry encounter. If you’re having troubles seeing things close up, or far away, it may be time to book an appointment with your Kelowna Optometrist to see if you need a new or existing prescription change.
Keep reading to find out more about nearsightedness and farsightedness, and how it may affect you.
What is Farsightedness?
How far are you holding your reading away from you these days? Has storytime with your kids become squinty time?
Farsightedness is a refractive error, meaning it has to do with how light focuses on the eye and where. The official term for farsightedness is hyperopia, and it means either the eyeball is too short or there is not enough curvature of the lens for objects to focus properly.
Ultimately, it means you have trouble focusing on objects close up, like reading, while objects far away remain clear.
Farsightedness is less common than nearsightedness, and can also be harder to detect in common vision screenings (such as those conducted by schools). However, a comprehensive eye exam with your Kelowna Optometrist can detect farsightedness. If you haven’t had a comprehensive eye exam lately and are experiencing difficulties seeing close-up, we recommend you book an eye exam appointment. Your Kelowna optometrist would be happy to help you find a solution.
What is Nearsightedness?
Nearsightedness is the opposite of farsightedness. Meaning objects far away appear blurry, while objects close up are still easy to focus on. Like farsightedness, nearsightedness is a refractive error. But in this case, the eyeball is an abnormal shape or size in relation to the eye, making it difficult for the retina to focus on light.
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, can be genetic, meaning if you have family members who have nearsightedness, your risk increases.
You may be experiencing nearsightedness if you’ve noticed road signs or other objects in the distance appear blurry while books and other objects up-close appear clear.
If you’re experiencing these issues, we recommend booking a comprehensive eye exam with your Kelowna optometrist.
Treatment for Refractive Errors with your Kelowna Optometrist
The good news is, treatment for nearsightedness and farsightedness is quite easy. Typically, after your comprehensive eye exam, if our optometrists discover your prescription has changed or you may need a new one for a refractive error, you will be prescribed with corrective lenses or glasses.
You can shop and try on frames right after your appointment at iSight. We have one of the largest selections of eyeglasses in the Okanagan, carrying brands such as Gucci, Izumi, Juicy Couture, Silhouette, and much more.
Everyone’s eyes change as they get older. If you haven’t booked a comprehensive eye exam in a while, we encourage you to contact your Kelowna Optometrist and book your exam now. Our friendly and experienced optometrists would be happy to answer any questions you have and let you know if you need corrective lenses.