{"id":10756,"date":"2021-04-13T07:52:40","date_gmt":"2021-04-13T07:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=10756"},"modified":"2021-07-15T12:17:16","modified_gmt":"2021-07-15T12:17:16","slug":"nearsighted-or-farsighted","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/","title":{"rendered":"Nearsighted or Farsighted?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Have you been told you are \u2018nearsighted\u2019 or \u2018farsighted\u2019 but not totally sure what they mean?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Both of these may require you to rely on an optical correction, either eyeglasses or contact lenses, but for very different reasons.<\/p>\n<p>Common vision problems are known as refractive errors. They occur when the eye is unable to focus light properly. There are four kinds of refractive errors &#8211; myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia.<\/p>\n<p>The two most common types of refractive error are<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/what-is-myopia\/\"> myopia<\/a> (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness).<\/p>\n<p>When you are myopic, it\u2019s easy to see close up, but difficult to see far away. For instance, reading a book is clear but reading a road sign isn&#8217;t. When you are hyperopic, it\u2019s the opposite, which explains why you might need reading glasses.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>Schedule an eye exam<\/b><\/a> with an eye doctor near you to have clear and comfortable vision.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/eye-anatomy-the-back-of-the-eye\/\">Eye Anatomy: The Back of the Eye<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2><b>What is Myopia?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/what-is-myopia\/\">Myopia<\/a>, also called nearsightedness, causes people and objects situated at a distance to appear blurry.<\/p>\n<p>Myopia occurs when the cornea is too curved or the eyeball is too long. This causes the focal point of light to fall in front of the retina instead of on the retina.<\/p>\n<p>Most school-aged children, teens, and young adults who need glasses are diagnosed with nearsightedness, which typically begins in childhood and may advance until the late teen years, when the eyes usually stop growing.<\/p>\n<p>People with myopia might need contact lenses, glasses, or corrective surgery to correct their eyesight. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/what-is-myopia-management\/\">Myopia management<\/a> (also called Ortho-k) is a non-surgical option for gradually and gently reshaping the cornea.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Symptoms of Nearsightedness<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Symptoms of nearsightedness may include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Headaches caused by eyestrain<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Blurry vision when looking at distant objects<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Excessive blinking<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Persistent squinting or partially closing the eyelids to see clearly<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Difficulty seeing while driving, especially at night<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Needing to sit close to the television or computer, or at the front of the classroom<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Being unaware of distant objects<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Frequent eye rubbing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you or your child experience any of these symptoms <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>contact an eye doctor near you<\/b>.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is Hyperopia?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Hyperopia, also known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/what-is-long-sightedness\/\">farsightedness<\/a>, causes close-up objects or people to appear out of focus, while distant objects are clear.<\/p>\n<p>Hyperopia occurs when the cornea\u2019s curve is too flat or the eyeball is too short. This causes light to reach a point of focus beyond the retina instead of on the retina.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/what-is-long-sightedness\/\">Farsightedness<\/a> is often an issue from birth but since a developing brain has the ability to adapt, it can take a while to diagnose. Children who are farsighted may develop a lazy eye or eye turn.<\/p>\n<p>As with myopia, people with hyperopia can benefit from glasses, contact lenses, transitional or bifocal lenses, or corrective surgery. School-age children can be prescribed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-for-school\/what-are-low-plus-lenses\/\">&#8216;low plus&#8217;<\/a> lenses for hyperopia. Some people might need to wear contacts and glasses all the time while others might need them only for reading, computer work, and other close-up tasks.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Symptoms of Farsightedness<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Symptoms of farsightedness may include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Blurry vision<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Nearby objects may appear blurry<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Squinting to see clearly<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Burning eyes, and aching in or around the eyes<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">General eye discomfort<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Trouble focusing on nearby objects<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Headaches or fatigue after doing close work such as reading, writing, or drawing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/\">Guide to Eye Health<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A comprehensive eye exam tests for nearsightedness and farsightedness. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>Schedule your eye exam<\/b><\/a> with an eye doctor near you, so that you can start to see clearly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you been told you are \u2018nearsighted\u2019 or \u2018farsighted\u2019 but not totally sure what they mean? Both of these may require you to rely on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10757,"parent":8573,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[132,156,107,228,147,88,230,217,232,90,396,153,233,142,101],"class_list":["post-10756","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-acuity","tag-blurry","tag-concentration","tag-cornea","tag-eye-exam","tag-eye-turns","tag-eyeglasses","tag-hyperopia","tag-longsighted","tag-myopia","tag-myopia-management","tag-school","tag-shortsighted","tag-vision","tag-visual-skills"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Nearsighted or Farsighted? - Optometrists.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nearsighted or Farsighted? - Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Have you been told you are \u2018nearsighted\u2019 or \u2018farsighted\u2019 but not totally sure what they mean? Both of these may require you to rely on\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-07-15T12:17:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/near.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/\",\"name\":\"Nearsighted or Farsighted? - Optometrists.org\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/near.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-04-13T07:52:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-07-15T12:17:16+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/near.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/near.jpg\",\"width\":640,\"height\":640},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Primary Eye Care\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Guide to Eye Health\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"How Does the Eye Work? Step-by-Step Explanation\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"Nearsighted or Farsighted?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/\",\"name\":\"Optometrists.org\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Nearsighted or Farsighted? - Optometrists.org","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Nearsighted or Farsighted? - Optometrists.org","og_description":"Have you been told you are \u2018nearsighted\u2019 or \u2018farsighted\u2019 but not totally sure what they mean? Both of these may require you to rely on","og_url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/","og_site_name":"Optometrists.org","article_modified_time":"2021-07-15T12:17:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":640,"height":640,"url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/near.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/","url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/","name":"Nearsighted or Farsighted? - Optometrists.org","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/near.jpg","datePublished":"2021-04-13T07:52:40+00:00","dateModified":"2021-07-15T12:17:16+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/near.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/near.jpg","width":640,"height":640},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/nearsighted-or-farsighted\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Primary Eye Care","item":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Guide to Eye Health","item":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How Does the Eye Work? Step-by-Step Explanation","item":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Nearsighted or Farsighted?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/","name":"Optometrists.org","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10756"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10756\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8573"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}