When you are at your eye appointment, you might hear the terms nearsightedness and farsightedness. You might even be dealing with one of these conditions. But what do they both mean?

Nearsightedness

Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, is a condition where you have trouble seeing objects far away from you but have no issues seeing objects up close.

For example, if you are dealing with nearsightedness, you generally won’t have problems using a computer or reading. People who suffer from nearsightedness may have trouble reading road signs while driving, a whiteboard at school, or making out objects at a distance away from you.

In most cases, people generally start experiencing blurry vision caused by nearsightedness at an early age. It was reported that 40% of the world’s population suffers from this condition and that percentage will only continue to grow over the years.

Farsightedness

Farsightedness, also known as hyperopia, is the condition where people have no problem seeing things at a distance but struggle when they are trying to see things close up.

Someone with this condition may have trouble reading or using a computer but will have no problem seeing objects that are further away from them. Farsightedness tends to run in families and is commonly present at birth.

Luckily for people dealing with nearsightedness and farsightedness, there are many options you have to enhance your vision, like getting prescription eyeglasses or contacts in order to see clearly again.

Reach out to your eye doctor if you’re experiencing nearsighted or farsighted imbalances.