Hyperopia, also called farsightedness, is an eye problem where someone cannot bring things near them into focus. Patients with hyperopia can generally see things normally at a distance but have difficulty with items nearby. Many kids tend to have moderate hyperopia early in life.
When hyperopia is severe, children may not be able to concentrate efficiently. Also, they can be in jeopardy for amblyopia, a common source of vision loss among children and young people. Vision screening can help identify hyperopia and determine if a visit to an eye care professional is necessary.
Sometimes optometrists will prescribe glasses to reinforce a child’s vision who has a weak eye and is at risk of having amblyopia, generally called “careless eye”. A conditioned often associated with amblyopia is anisometropia, which occurs when there is a substantial difference in refraction between both eyes.
Typically, if the length of an eyeball is too short, it may be difficult to bring near objects into focus. It can also be tough to bring close things into focus if the cornea has less curvature than typical. As the eye expands and lengthens, a child’s hyperopia generally will diminish with age.
Because no verbal response is necessary, pediatric vision tests can be performed at a very young age. For older children who can read, vision screenings with an eye chart are generally inefficient at finding farsightedness. The reason is farsighted individuals can often recognize the letters on an eye graph without much difficulty.
Why should children to see an optometrist? Children are not merely small grownups. Some are unable to communicate what is bothering them while others may not be able to tell adults about health concerns. On top of that, eye doctors utilize tools specifically designed for kids. Many optometrist offices are set up and enhanced with young patients in mind which may include exam rooms and waiting areas with appropriate reading and educational materials.