Long-sightedness in simple terms: symptoms & correction

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.

04.02.2025 Cornelia Sammer 4 minutes

Was ist 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.

Long-sightedness: the dioptre value

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:

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

Difference between long-sightedness and short-sightedness

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.

Long-sightedness: possible symptoms

There are different signs of long-sightedness. The most common symptoms include:

  • Eye pain and headaches
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Dizziness

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.

How does long-sightedness develop?

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 eyeball is slightly shorter than is the case for people with normal vision (axial hyperopia).
  • In rare cases, the lens and cornea cannot refract light strongly enough (refractive hyperopia).

The severity of long-sightedness rarely changes with age – unlike short-sightedness.

Long-sightedness: what are the consequences?

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.

Diagnosing 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.

Improving long-sightedness

There are various ways to correct long-sightedness:

  • Glasses: for long-sightedness, experts use glasses with plus lenses (converging lenses) with a positive refractive or dioptre value. These are curved outwards (convex) and adjust the amount of light in front of the eye. This means the light rays are focused directly on the retina.
  • Contact lenses: what contact lenses do you need for long-sightedness? Like spectacle lenses, contact lenses for long-sightedness are convex, so they work in the same way as spectacle lenses. In cases of very severe long-sightedness, experts recommend contact lenses because the spectacle lenses needed to correct the condition would be very thick and, therefore, heavy.
  • Laser treatment: laser treatment is another option for long-sightedness. You have the choice between various methods of laser eye surgery.
  • Other forms of surgery: in addition to glasses, contact lenses and laser treatment, there are various forms of surgical lens treatment – for example, lens implantation.

 

Long-sightedness in children: who covers the treatment costs?

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.

Eye training for long-sightedness

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:

  • Rub your hands together to warm them up. Place them over your eyes without applying any pressure.
  • Slowly move your eyes to the left, right, up and down. Then move them from the top right to the bottom left and vice versa.
  • Do you spend a lot of time working in front of a screen? Every 20 minutes, look at an object that’s at least 20 metres away. Focus on this for 20 seconds.

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.

Read more

Short-sightedness: causes, consequences & correction
What are mild and severe short-sightedness and how is short-sightedness corrected? What dioptre values do short-sighted people have?
February 4, 2025 6 minutes

What is astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a common vision problem. It is not age-related and often occurs in conjunction with short- and long-sightedness.
May 13, 2022 4 minutes

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