Am I long-sighted or short-sighted?

So this is a question I am asked many times over when I am in clinic and the answer (as always) is a bit more complex.

There are a few types of vision deficiency:
Long - sightedness (Hyperopia)
Short - sightedness (Myopia)
Astigmatism
and Presbyopia.

A few of these can combine to produce a complex prescription.

I will break them down simply:

Long-sightedness -

This is a condition of the eye where light focuses behind, instead of on, the retina. It causes close objects to be blurry while far objects may appear normal. As the hyperopia increases objects at all distances can be blurry. The cause is an imperfection in the eye size often when the eyeball is too short or if the lens cannot change shape enough, causing the eye to not have enough power to see close or nearby objects.

Short -sightedness -

​This is a condition of the eye where light focuses in front of, instead of on, the retina. It causes far objects to be blurry while near objects may appear normal. The cause is an imperfection in the eye size often when the eyeball is too big. Other additional underlying causes are believed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Risk factors include performing work that involves focusing on close objects and greater time spent indoors.

Astigmatism -

​Astigmatism is an optical defect in which vision is blurred due to the inability of the optics of the eye to focus a point object into a sharp focused image on the retina. This may be due to an irregular curvature of the cornea, lens or both. The two types of astigmatism are regular and irregular. You can be hyperopic or myopic with astigmatism.

Presbyopia -

Presbyopia is a condition associated with aging, such that the eye exhibits a progressively reduced ability to focus clearly on an object close to the eye. The first signs of presbyopia are – eyestrain, difficulty seeing in dim light, problems focusing on small objects and fine print – usually first noticed between the ages of forty and fifty. This change is likely to be due to the reduced elasticity of the lens and therefore an inability to change shape readily.

For all these defects there is a solution, sometimes several solutions to suit your lifestyle. If you would like advice on your options visit our practice.