Causes of long-sightedness

Long-sightedness is when the eye does not focus light on the retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye) properly.

This may be because:

• the eyeball is too short
• the cornea (transparent layer at the front of the eye) is too flat
• the lens inside the eye is unable to focus properly

It's often not clear what causes these problems, but they're rarely a sign of any underlying condition.

Sometimes long-sightedness may be a result of the genes you inherited from your parents, or a result of the lenses in your eyes becoming stiffer and less able to focus as you get older.

What are the symptoms of Long-sigthedness?

People who are long-sighted may:

• see distant objects clearly, but nearby objects look blurred or fuzzy
• need to screw up their eyes to see clearly
• have tired eyes or headaches after reading and writing, working on the computer or other close up activities.

Children who are long-sighted may not experience these problems, but you may notice one eye turning inwards (towards their nose) as the child tries to focus. This is called a squint and may be more noticeable when the child is tired or unwell. If this happens they may develop a lazy eye, so you should take them to an optometrist without delay.