One of the most common problems that most of us face in our lives nowadays is the problem of eyesight or we can call it a refractive error.
In this digital world, where we are now engaged in our mobile phones, laptops, and all sort of screens for different purposes more than ever, this problem has become worse.
Near Sightedness vs Far Sightedness
The difference between Nearsightedness and Far Sightedness is That the very distant Objects tend to get blurry and we are not able to see that thing clearly in Near Sightedness whereas Close Objects tend to get blurry which makes it very difficult to see those things and it is called Far Sightedness
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If you are someone who gets troubled to check the time while watching the wall clock kept at a certain distance even in good lighting, chances are you have Myopia or Near Sightedness.
It affects a significant amount of the Population all over the world and can be corrected with Eye Glasses, Contact lenses, or Surgery.
On the other hand, if you are someone, who faces difficulty in reading books or using a computer, chances are you may have Hypermetropia or Far Sightedness.
It is less common but can become a serious reason for headaches, frequent blinking, etc. if not treated properly.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Near Sightedness | Far Sightedness |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Name | It is also called Myopia. | It is also referred to as Hypermetropia. |
| Position of Objects in focus | One can see Close-up Objects in this. | One can see distant objects in this case. |
| Position of Blurry Objects | Far off Distant Objects looks blurry in this case. | Close-up Objects tend to look fussy in this. |
| Shape of Eyeball | The eyeball grows too long in shape. | Eyeball becomes too small in shape. |
| focus of Light | Light gets focussed, too far in front of the retina. | Here, Light gets focussed, too far past the retina. |
What is Near Sightedness?
Near Sightedness or Myopia is a common eye disorder that makes it difficult to see Distant Objects. It is usually considered, that Myopia is a result of Genetics and Environmental Factors.
It is very common that if your parents have Myopia, you may have it too. It can develop rapidly sometimes and becomes worse in Adolescence.
Its common symptoms include eyestrain, headaches, difficulty in seeing far-off objects, etc. Usually what happens, is Cornea and Lens present in the eye tend to bend the light coming in, so that it can be focused on Retina.
But, in Myopia, our Eyeball becomes long or the Cornea becomes steep, leading to the focus of light getting Shifted in front of the Retina.
Myopia can also be a result of doing continuous near work or a Lack of outside exposure in childhood. Myopia can typically be treated with Glasses or Contact lenses. But in Adults, in some cases, a refractive surgery like LASIK or PRK may be needed.
Although there is no permanent cure for Near Sightedness, we can improve our overall eye health by Limiting our Screen time, Scheduling Regular eye exams, etc.
What is Far Sightedness?
Far Sightedness or in medical terms, Hypermetropia or Hyperopia is another common refractive error that tends to make Close- up objects look blurry.
Sometimes, it gets so bad that people can not focus at all, be it an Object present close to him/her or an Object present at a distance.
It is usually caused by an eyeball that is too short or the cornea which is abnormally shaped. These things, lead to the light getting focused on the back of our Retina instead of on its surface.
Most children are born with mild Hypermetropia which goes away with age. Some people may not even notice this condition, especially when they are young.
Our eyes do 70% of the sensory tasks that our body needs, and a disorder in such a vital sense organ can make your life difficult.
Its symptoms are also similar to Myopia i.e., Headache, eye strain, or not being able to perceive depth properly. In some cases, it can also be a result of Diabetes, tumors. Generally, it is hereditary, just like Myopia.
It can also be treated with Glasses with positive values, contact lenses, or Surgeries. If not treated properly, with age Far Sightedness can lead to Complications like Strabismus and Amblyopia.
Main differences between Near Sightedness and Far Sightedness
- In Near Sightedness, instead of directly focussing on Retina, light focusses in the front of the Retina, whereas in Farsighted vision, lightly get focussed past the Retina making close objects look blurry.
- Near-Sighted vision can happen either because of the shape of the eyeball which can be too long in this case or can also be caused by the shape of the Cornea. While far-sighted vision is usually a result of a short eyeball.
- In medical terms, Near Sightedness is also called short-sightedness or Myopia. And Far Sightedness is usually called Long Sightedness or Hypermetropia (also Hyperopia).
- It is usually observed that Near-sightedness develops during childhood and worsens during adolescence. But Farsightedness generally improves as the eyeball lengthens.
- Cases of Myopia are often more common in people than that of Hypermetropia.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0886335001012159
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0886335013804786
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
