Farsightedness, or hyperopia, affects 5% to 10% of Americans. People who are farsighted can see objects that are far away but have trouble focusing on close things. You may have blurry vision, get headaches or squint a lot.

What does it mean if you are farsighted?

Farsightedness (hyperopia) is a common vision condition in which you can see distant objects clearly, but objects nearby may be blurry. The degree of your farsightedness influences your focusing ability.

What causes a person to be farsighted?

Farsightedness occurs when light is not refracted properly through an uneven, less smooth cornea or lens. It is a type of refractive error. Refractive errors can also cause myopia, or shortsightedness, and astigmatism. The light rays focus at a point behind the retina, and not onto it, because of the imperfect shape.