What is the Difference Between Nearsighted and Farsighted?
For vision to work properly, both your distance and near
vision should be clear. Both nearsightedness and farsightedness are refractive
conditions, referring to how light is focused in relation to the eye. Below,
learn what farsightedness and nearsightedness mean, as well as the differences
between the two.
Farsightedness
The technical term for farsightedness is hyperopia. If you
are farsighted, you can see distant objects well, but reading or looking at items
close up is blurry for you. With hyperopia, the eyeball is either too short or
there is not enough curvature of the lens for objects to focus properly. Light
will focus at a point beyond the retina instead of in front of the retina or
directly on its surface. This causes blurry vision up close.
Nearsightedness
Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, is the opposite of
farsightedness. It means that with your uncorrected natural vision, you have
difficulty seeing at a distance. This happens when the eyeball is too long.
Because it is longer than normal, light cannot focus properly through the lens
and cornea. When you view an object, the light rays that hit your eye will end
up focusing at a point in front of the retina instead of focusing directly at
the retina. This is why objects farther away become blurrier compared to
objects up close – the focusing distance is further. Nearsightedness can also
be caused by the curvature of the lens of the eye. If the lens is too curved,
this will throw off your focusing point as well.
Differences Between Nearsightedness & Farsightedness
Being farsighted or nearsighted both affect your ability to see clearly. The difference between farsighted and nearsighted is whether you have difficulty seeing up close or at a distance. Farsightedness makes it hard to see things that are close, and nearsightedness makes it difficult to see things that are far away. Both conditions can be improved with corrective lenses such as glasses or contacts as well as LASIK surgery.
To learn more about nearsightedness or farsightedness or if you are interested in LASIK vision correction, contact Correct Vision Laser Institute by calling 954-442-1133 or visiting correctvision.com.