Long-Sighted vs. Short-Sighted
Both long-sighted and short-sighted people struggle to see things clearly from certain distances. Objects appear blurry or distorted, and you may find yourself squinting to see better.
Some people with long-sightedness can see objects clearly from a long distance but have trouble seeing nearby objects clearly. With short-sightedness, objects at a short distance are clear, but distant objects are blurry. Both of these focusing problems — called refractive errors — occur when light does not focus directly on the retina when it enters the eye. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.
Light enters the eye through the pupil and then makes its way to the retina. The light needs to be focused directly on the retina in order to produce a clear picture before you. But if the light is focused in front of or behind the retina, you’ll experience blurred vision.
What does it mean if someone is long-sighted?
Someone who is long-sighted may struggle to see things that are up close. This occurs when light focuses behind the retina, and is often associated with a “short” eyeball. Other terms for long-sighted vision include hyperopia, hypermetropia, and farsightedness.
Most babies are born long-sighted but do not remain so as they grow.
What does it mean if someone is short-sighted?
Someone who is short-sighted has trouble seeing things that are far away. This occurs when light focuses in front of the retina, and is often associated with a “long” eyeball. Other terms for short-sighted vision include myopia and nearsightedness.
Symptoms of Long- and Short-Sightedness
While short- vs. long-sighted symptoms vary, both cause blurred vision at a specific distance. But blurred vision isn’t the only sign that you may have one of these vision issues. Here are some symptoms of each condition:
Symptoms of long-sightedness include:
- Blurry vision when looking at nearby objects (or in some cases, blurry vision at all distances)
- The need or urge to squint in order to see things at a close distance
- Eye strain
- Headaches caused by continuous up-close activities
- The need to hold a book, phone, or menu farther from your face in order to see it more clearly
Symptoms of short-sightedness include:
- Blurry vision when looking at distant objects
- The need to squint in order to see things that are far away
- Eye strain
- Headaches caused by the eye strain
- Difficulty seeing the road or signs when driving
Contact your optician to schedule an eye test if you experience any of these symptoms, or if they worsen over time.
Treatment Options for Short- and Long-Sightedness
Long-sighted vs. short-sighted treatment varies. You may not need correction if your condition is very mild. However, most people who are long-sighted or short-sighted wear prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct their vision.
Treatment for Long-Sightedness
If you need correction for long-sightedness, you’ll be given a prescription that indicates the amount of vision correction you need in your eyeglasses or contact lenses. This prescription is determined by your eye care provider during a comprehensive eye exam that tests your eyes and vision.
Long-sightedness is most commonly corrected with prescription eyeglasses or prescription contact lenses.
Treatment for Short-sightedness
Like long-sightedness, you need a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct short-sightedness. The same process applies for both — your optician will examine your eyes and vision and then write a prescription based on the amount of vision correction you need.
Short-sightedness is most commonly corrected with prescription eyeglasses or prescription contact lenses.
How Does Ageing Impact Sight?
If you’ve noticed that you can’t see as well as you used to, you’re not alone. It’s natural for your eyes and vision to change as you get older, and a number of conditions are more common with older age.
Presbyopia
Sometimes called age-related long-sightedness, presbyopia is the natural loss of near focusing ability that comes with age. Presbyopia causes nearby objects to appear blurry, making it difficult to read, focus on up-close objects, and do near work like sewing. Symptoms usually set in around age 40.
If you have presbyopia and haven’t needed vision correction before, you can probably use over-the-counter reading glasses to see things better up close. You can test out different strengths by trying on reading glasses at your local stockist. Reading glasses are available at many UK retailers, including supermarkets, pharmacies, health and beauty stores, and fashion shops.
If you want to purchase your readers online, you can use a sight tester chart to help determine what lens strength is best for you.
On the other hand, if you have needed glasses in the past, prescription glasses with varifocal or bifocal lenses may be a better option for you. These types of lenses correct vision at multiple distances so you don’t need to switch between pairs for different tasks. Talk to your optician to find out what type of lenses will be best for you.
Other Age-Related Eye Conditions
While presbyopia is considered a correctable refractive error like long-sightedness and short-sightedness, other age-related conditions can be sight-threatening if not detected and treated early.
Some other common age-related vision conditions include:
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
The best way to prevent sight loss and keep your eyes healthy is to see your optician for annual comprehensive eye tests. This gives them regular opportunities to check your vision and the health of your eyes. You should also schedule an exam if you notice any new vision changes or eye problems.
A final note: Ageing is a natural part of life that you can embrace and even enjoy. Choosing a pair of fashion-forward reading glasses is just one way to make the process more fun. Foster Grant has a variety of reading glasses options to suit your personal style and vision needs at the same time.
Sources
- Myopia vs. hyperopia: What’s the difference? All About Vision. March 2023.*
- Long-sightedness. National Health Service (NHS). February 2023.**
- Short-sightedness. National Health Service (NHS). May 2022.**
- Nearsighted vs. farsighted: What’s the difference? Eyebuydirect. September 2022.*
- Presbyopia: What causes it and how to treat it. All About Vision. February 2019.*
- Normal age-related vision changes: What are ageing changes in the eye? All About Vision. June 2019.*
The sources listed here have been provided for informational purposes only. The citation of a particular source does not constitute an endorsement or approval of EssilorLuxottica products, services, or opinions by such source.
*Like Foster Grant, All About Vision, Eyebuydirect, and AAV Media, LLC are affiliates of EssilorLuxottica.
**Information from the NHS website is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.