Hypermetropia (or hyperopia), commonly known as long sight or long sightedness, is a condition or refractive error in which the light that enters the eye comes to a focus ‘behind’ the retina.

The eye is not powerful enough, or too short. A spectacle lens or contact lens can add to the power and bring the light to focus on the retina.

This is usually due to the eye being smaller than normal. When an object is brought closer to the eye the lens of the eye is required to change shape increasing its optical power to keep the object in focus.

If there is not enough power in the lens to keep the object in focus it will appear to be blurred. This can be at both distance and near but is particularly noticeable for near objects. The cause of hyperopia is typically genetic. It usually occurs in the early years of life.

What you need to do

Hypermetropia can be treated using corrective lenses, either spectacle lenses or contact lenses. There are many lenses that can be used to correct hypermetropia in a range of powers including hi-index lenses for the management of high degrees of hypermetropia

The spectacle corrective lenses have a positive optical power and are convex, which help the light to be focussed onto the retina instead of behind the retina providing a clear image.

There are also laser treatments (laser eye surgery or laser refractive surgery) or surgical options including clear lens extraction with a multifocal intra ocular lens or intraocular lenses (phakic intraocular lenses).