Also known as nearsightedness and farsightedness. These are mistakes. People with short-sightedness see clearly at close range, but blurry at a distance. The opposite is true for far-sighted people.
Almost half of all people in Europe aged 25 to 30 are nearsighted. Myopia is also common in children between the ages of 10 and 12. Only about 6% of this age group are affected by farsightedness. The older you get, the more the relationship changes. Only around 15% of people around the age of 65 are still short-sighted. Presbyopia also occurs with increasing age and accordingly the number of far-sighted people increases to approx. 30%. Presbyopia is not counted among the refractive errors, it is a natural sign of aging, such as gray hair.
The lens of the eye tires over the years and becomes less flexible, which means that close-up vision can be perceived as blurry and tiring.
Presbyopia usually becomes noticeable between the ages of 40 and 45 and reading glasses can help quickly.
The two causes of short-sightedness or far-sightedness are, on the one hand, that the eyeball has grown too long or too short and, on the other hand, the refractive power of the lens of the eye is too strong or too weak, depending on the situation.
First signs of nearsightedness or farsightedness
With nearsightedness, there is difficulty in seeing or recognizing things clearly in the distance. Whether this is a street sign or the distant mountain range, both no longer appear so clear. However, everything that concerns the close range is sharp.
Quite the opposite is the case with farsighted people. These have a clear and sharp vision at a distance, but the near range is blurry. You have great difficulty reading or doing screen work. The distances at which you see better or worse can give you an initial indication of whether you are far-sighted or short-sighted.
We are happy to offer you an eye test so that you can be sure whether you have a defective vision or not.
Be it short-sightedness or far-sightedness, our team can do a professional eye test with you and tell you whether you need glasses or not. This will give you certainty about the status of your eyesight.