What is farsightedness?

It is a visual condition where there is an adequate vision at a distance, but it blurs when things are close. It is a genetic disorder in which the cornea and lens are altered and do not have the proper curvature, or also when the eyeball lacks the optimal size, causing light refraction errors.

Depending on how serious the malformation is, the blurring degree will be greater, and the indicated treatment is the use of glasses or contact lenses, although if the visual disability is great, surgery is recommended.

• Blurred vision in close objects.
• Excessive and unsuccessful effort to focus.
• Sore and irritated eyes.
• Migraine and eye pain when you perform activities such as reading, looking at the computer, or the cell phone for a long time.

If you experience any of these symptoms, go to an ophthalmologist to diagnose and assess your degree of far-sightedness, prescribing the ideal treatment for your specific case. Complications of untreated far-sightedness are the following:

Constant headaches and eye discomfort.

Strabismus: it occurs mainly in children.

Limited vision: your visual impairment affects your quality of life since it is not possible for you to perform your activities properly, in addition to the symptoms that reduce your well-being.

Safety risks: with this problem you are at risk when you drive a car or some mechanical equipment because you do not have the adequate visual capacity to do it safely.

Once your ophthalmologist analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform an eye exam to evaluate, among other things, the refractive function and ocular morphology. With this, you will be able to identify your visual problem, be it far-sightedness, myopia, or astigmatism, among others.

Farsightedness treatment consists of channeling light into the retina for correct refraction through surgery or corrective lenses.

If your degree of farsightedness is mild, you will be prescribed glasses or contact lenses that will allow you to counteract the unbalanced corneal curve or the smallness of the eye.

As for the types of refractive surgery indicated, they are:

LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis):

It is the most used procedure due to its speed and comfort for the patient, in addition to the fact that there is less postoperative recovery time than in other surgeries. A corneal flap is produced and the cornea curvature is corrected with a laser.

LASEK (Laser-Assisted Subepithelial Keratectomy):

A flap is produced in the corneal epithelium and the corneal layers are formatted with the laser and the curvature is corrected, repositioning the epithelium.

PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy):

It is similar to LASEK, with the difference that the epithelium is completely removed and the laser is used to give the correct morphology to the cornea. Here the epithelium is not replaced, giving rise to the development of a new one according to the new corneal structure.

Each of these surgeries has possible complications and side effects, which your ophthalmologist will explain to you to decide together which one is the most suitable for you.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

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