Farsightedness is referred to as "hyperopia" in technical jargon. The total refractive power of the eye does not correspond to the anatomical structure of the eye, so that no sharp image is formed in the center of the retina. The structure of the eye is too short in relation to the retina, so that the image is imagined to be sharp behind the retina, but blurred on the retina (illustration). As a result, the affected patient's vision is blurred. A young patient can often compensate for this visual defect by accommodating the distance vision, i.e. the lens becomes more curved and thus increases the refractive power of the eye. In young children, farsightedness can exacerbate an existing squint.
Figure: Schematic representation of a farsighted eye. A blurred image appears on the retina.
The development of farsightedness is essentially genetically pre-programmed, so hyperopia is usually inherited. Around half of the population has defective vision, half of which is farsighted (i.e. a quarter of the population in total).
Farsightedness can be noticeable in small children and infants due to a squint. If farsightedness is the cause of the squint, it will normalize with treatment of the farsightedness. In school or adulthood, farsightedness can become noticeable through increased headaches and problems, especially when seeing close up. Overall, visual acuity is reduced compared to a person with normal vision. In the course of the ageing process, the symptoms can increase because the natural compensation mechanism is lost due to the decrease in lens flexibility.
Farsightedness can be diagnosed and confirmed by an ophthalmologist. To do this, the eyes are measured and refracted (different lenses are held in front of the eye). This must also be done with a so-called cyclo-refraction, whereby the pupils are dilated with eye drops and the ability to accommodate is switched off for the measurement.
The first choice for treating long-sightedness is to wear glasses. Care should be taken, especially with children, to ensure that the glasses are suitable for everyday use and sports. Alternatively, contact lenses can be used to correct hyperopia. However, it is essential to ensure that the contact lenses are handled reliably, especially with regard to cleaning and hygiene.
In addition, hard contact lenses are preferable to soft contact lenses. Hard contact lenses are gentler on the eyes than soft contact lenses, even if they are much more difficult to get used to. However, hard contact lenses are not suitable for occasional wear (e.g. for sport). In this case, daily disposable lenses should be preferred.
Surgical treatment of hyperopia
In principle, operations to correct long-sightedness on the cornea or lens are also possible. This is called refractive surgery. For this, the eyes must be carefully examined in advance to determine whether such an operation is an option.
In infants and small children, long-sightedness is normal to a certain extent, i.e. physiological, as the eye is still growing. Children's farsightedness can therefore regress as the length of the eye increases. In the adult eye, however , hyperopia no longer regresses spontaneously. It can be easily managed with aids (glasses or contact lenses) in everyday life, and treatment is also possible with surgery.
When choosing aids or refractive surgery, it is essential to consider suitability for sport. In the case of spectacles, this primarily concerns the material of the lenses and the design of the temples and frame. There are special sports glasses that you can find out about from your optician. When it comes to contact lenses, soft daily lenses are particularly suitable.
With regard to surgery to correct long-sightedness, there are differences in suitability for sports. Contact sports in particular (e.g. boxing) could pose a risk to the eye after a so-called LASIK procedure (in which a "lid" of the cornea is prepared before the correction is carried out with the laser).
