Farsightedness (Hyperopia)

What Is It?

A person with farsightedness, also called hyperopia, has difficulty seeing objects close to the eye. They can see distant objects well.

In most cases, farsightedness is an inherited condition caused by an eye that is too short front to back. This reduces the distance between the cornea (the clear film that covers the front of the eye) and the retina (the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye). Because this distance is shorter, images tend to focus behind the retina, rather than on the retina.