Hypermetropia, or long sightedness is the refractive error when the light rays from near objects are focused behind the retina and are not seen well. Objects, located far from the person, are focused exactly on the retina. Long sightedness tends to advance with age, therefore people with this refractive error are recommended to be regularly examined by the doctor-ophthalmologist who will offer you types of correction and long sightedness treatment.
Long sightedness treatment includes the following methods:
- apparatus treatment of long sightedness
- correction by glasses and contact lenses.
From the ophthalmologist's manual:
Long sightedness – hypermetropia
Hypermetropia is characterized by the fact that the main focus is situated behind the retina. In order that the focus may fall on the retina, the rays before coming into the eye should be converging as to their direction. Such rays do not exist in nature. Therefore a hypermetropic eye cannot see clearly either far or near objects. However, most long sighted people with slight hypermetropia can see far objects well, as the accommodation augments focusing power of the eye dioptric apparatus. The hypermetrope is bound to accommodate all the time. Accommodation tension becomes habitual, and hypermetrope cannot fully ease it; partially due to this long sightedness lies permanently dormant and cannot be diagnosed by means of special lenses.
Due to the fact that a long sighted eye is always bound to accommodate, in case of working without glasses the eye fatigue often occurs. During reading contours of letters converge and become blurred. The pressure sense in the eye, aching pain near the eye and in the forehead, sometimes violent headache and sickliness appear. This phenomenon bears a name of accommodative asthenopia.
Slight long sightedness when distance vision is normal and close-up work does not cause sense of discomfort, requires no correction by means of glasses. If hypermetropia causes asthenopic phenomena, then it will require correction by means of lenses as well as slight and severe hypermetropia. In this case glasses are prescribed for permanent wearing.
Apparatus treatment of long sightedness is prescribed if the patient has a non-corrected amblyopia.
Surgical treatment of long sightedness is ineffective.