Near and Farsightedness

What does it mean when you are nearsighted or farsighted? Most people have heard the terms, and may be familiar with their general meaning, but what do they really mean? Let’s start by using an analogy. Have you ever focused light through an ordinary magnifying glass? When you hold it at just the right angle and at just the right distance from something, you will see a very distinct concentrated point of focused light. Now, think of the eye as a ball with a magnifying glass sitting at the front of it. If it so happens that the magnifying glass is just the right strength, the light coming into the ball will focus in a nice concentrated point on the back of the ball- this would produce excellent vision in a real human eye. The possibility exists that the magnifying lens on the ball may not focus light on the back of the eye where we want it. Sometimes it may focus in front of or behind the back of the eye; this would produce nearsightedness or farsightedness.

    Nearsightedness is the condition where the magnifying lens at the front of the ball is too powerful, thus the focused light comes in the middle of the eye, not on the back. This person does not see well at a distance, but can generally see near items very well. The only remedy to nearsightedness is to move closer to the item of interest. Farsightedness is a little different, using our same analogy: the light focused by the lens falls behind the back of the eye, or the magnifying lens is too weak. In general, this person has more difficulty seeing things up close, so theymust move things farther away from them to see it better. Farsightedness becomes more of a problem as we get older, so people find that they need glasses when they never have had to before.

    This is a very simple explanation of the problem, but the bottom line is that whatever the vision issue, there are great remedies including glasses, contact lenses, and surgery. A good comprehensive eye exam can help us understand your unique visual situation, and then we can suggest with your assistance, the most appropriate solution for your vision needs.

Contact Salt Lake Eye Associates today; We care about you and your eye health. 801-281-2020