Was bedeutet Weitsichtigkeit, wie entsteht Weitsichtigkeit und wie äussert sie sich? Können Sie Weitsichtigkeit behandeln durch Lasern oder andere Methoden? Erfahren Sie mehr zum Thema Weitsichtigkeit.
Long-sightedness (also known as hyperopia or far-sightedness) means not being able to see small print or close objects clearly, while objects in the distance are very clear. Experts measure long-sightedness in positive dioptres. Most people affected have a dioptre value of less than +4 to +5 dioptres.
Around 20% of people under the age of 30 are long-sighted. Many children are also long-sighted shortly after they’re born. That’s because their eyes are still growing at that time. This form of long-sightedness generally disappears by itself after the growth phase.
By the way, astigmatism is not the same as long-sightedness. Astigmatism is a curvature of the cornea, and those affected may have blurred vision for things that are both close up and far away.
Your dioptre values provide information about how long- or short-sighted you are. If you’re long-sighted, your dioptre values will be positive. The dioptre table below shows the correlation between your dioptre values and the degree of your long-sightedness:
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Dioptres
Degree of long-sightedness
Up to +0.5
Very mild
+0.5 to +1.0
Mild
+1.0 to +5.0
Medium
+5.0 to +13.0
Severe
The difference between short-sightedness and long-sightedness lies, among other things, in the dioptre value. For short-sightedness, this is negative and for long-sightedness, according to the definition, positive. For short-sighted people, things that are far away appear blurred; for long-sighted people, things that are close up appear blurred.
There are different signs of long-sightedness. The most common symptoms include:
It’s worth noting that some people have what’s known as hidden long-sightedness, or latent hyperopia. This means they are long-sighted, but don’t know it. How is that possible? The brain compensates for the long-sightedness and the lens adapts to different distances (accommodation). In the long term, hidden long-sightedness causes symptoms such as headaches. That’s because the muscle responsible for this compensation is constantly tensed.
Long-sightedness is caused by the focal point of light falling behind the retina instead of on the retina, as would be the case in a healthy eye. Possible reasons include the following:
The severity of long-sightedness rarely changes with age – unlike short-sightedness.
Many people don’t realise that they’re long-sighted when they’re young. The brain still compensates for the long-sightedness and the increased strain on the eyes required for this often goes unnoticed. With increasingly severe long-sightedness or increasing age, this strain may trigger discomfort, including eye strain and fatigue, eye pain, headaches or even neck and back pain. Burning eyes or frequent conjunctivitis are also possible consequences of long-sightedness.
Ophthalmologists use various tests to diagnose long-sightedness. They measure, for example, the refractive power of your eyes using a laser. They also use eye tests to assess your eyesight.
There are various ways to correct long-sightedness:
We contribute CHF 180 per year – minus co-payment – to the costs for children’s glasses and contact lenses. This benefit is part of our basic insurance and applies up to the age of 18.
The effectiveness of eye training for long-sightedness has not been proven. But it’s a good idea to consciously relax your eyes now and then. Try out the following exercises when your eyes feel strained:
Even though eye training cannot cure long-sightedness, these exercises relieve the strain on your eyes. If your vision is impaired, you should speak to your ophthalmologist. They will tell you about correction options that could suit you.
The specialist provided the editorial team with advice and input for this article. Anja Roth (Master of Science in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy) works for Helsana’s health consultation team. She helps customers with issues to do with prevention and health promotion.
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