What causes hyperopia?
Hyperopia is an inherited condition that occurs when the cornea is too flat or the distance from the cornea to the retina is too short. When this happens, the light rays coming from an object strike the retina before coming to sharp focus, or the image is theoretically focused at an imaginary point behind the retina. The result is a blurred image when trying to focus on something that is up close, but distance vision remains sharp. Children who are farsighted can sometimes compensate without corrective lenses because of the strength and agility of their natural lenses. With a high degree of hyperopia, however, they may exhibit nonvisual symptoms such as headaches and lack of interest in reading. As the eye gets older, it loses some of its ability to accommodate (focus), and eventually, most farsighted individuals need corrective lenses.
