Presbyopia V. Hyperopia - The fundamental differences

Hyperopia, or farsightedness, occurs when the light rays that enter the eye do not focus directly on the retina, but in fact, they focus behind it. This occurs when the distance between the front and back of the eye is too shot. Hyperopia can affect people at any age. Some childred will actually outgrow this condition, as they grow, so do their eyes. But if they do not, corrective lenses such as contacts of eyeglasses can be used to treat hyperopia. Laser surgery, such as LASIK, is also an option.

Presbyopia has a similar visual effect in that people have trouble seeing clearly up close, but unlike hyperopia, it is age related. It is the result of the lens inside the eye becoming harder and losing flexibility with age. The visual effect is very much like hyperopia; difficulty seeing up close. In general, this is corrected with lenses. The most commmon treatment are reading glasses, worn only when viewing objects up close. Another choice is contact lenses to produce monovision, when one lens corrects the distance vision, if needed, and the other lens corrects the near vision. Monovision wearers must train their eyes to adapt to a new way of viewing things up close and far away. Very similar to bifocal or progressive eyeglasses, multifocal contact lenses can correct presbyopia.

Hyperopia only effects some and it is possible to treat it with surgery. Presbyopia will eventually effect us all, but until very recently was not treated with surgery. When eyes start to lose their flexibility they can't focus on objects up close anymore, It is at this point treatment becomes necessary. Even though there are surgical options available for presbyopia, the majority of people still choose a simple pair of quality reading glasses. They are a safe, stylish option that anyone can use. If losing your clear close vision due to presbyopia is a foregone conclusion, you may as well be fashionable when doing so.