If you can see objects at a distance clearly but have trouble
focusing well on objects close up, you may be farsighted.
Farsightedness or long-sightedness is often referred to by its
medical names, hypermetropia or hyperopia. Hyperopia causes the
eyes to exert extra effort to see close up. After viewing near
objects for an extended period, you may experience blurred
vision, headaches and eyestrain. Children who are farsighted may
find reading difficult. Hyperopia is not a disease, nor does it
mean that you have "bad eyes." It simply means that you have a
variation in the shape of your eyeball. The degree of variation
will determine whether or not you will need corrective lenses.
What causes farsightedness? Hyperopia most commonly occurs
because the eyeball is too short; that is, shorter from front to
back than is normal. In some cases, hyperopia may be caused by
the cornea having too little curvature. Exactly why eyeball
shape varies is not known, but the tendency for farsightedness
is inherited. Other factor