Though much of the glasses-wearing population is nearsighted (blurry in the distance), the population as a whole is farsighted (clearer in the distance).  Most farsighted individuals do not need glasses until past age 40 as the eyes lose their ability to focus on near objects. Usually they will need reading glasses and sometimes later in life their distance vision will need correction.  The farsighted individual is dependent on the focusing of their eyes more so than the nearsighted.  As we age, the focusing system of the eyes, call accommodation, gets weaker and weaker every year.  For most, this doesn’t affect the eyes until past age 40.  Some farsighted individuals will need glasses before age 40, but always see better at a distance than near.

Farsightedness is corrected with plus power lenses that help the eyes to focus along with magnifying the images we see.  Generally, farsightedness is not corrected by LASIK or other refractive surgery, as these procedures aim at correcting distance only and are much more commonly performed on nearsighted individuals.

For more information on treating farsightedness and all your eye care needs, Dr. Carney is available by appointment at Welch/Wallace Laser Center by calling (318) 448-0221.