What’s the Difference Between Myopia and Hyperopia?
Myopia Vs. Hyperopiamyopia and Hyperopia Are Common — but Essentially Opposite — Types of Vision Problems. the Biggest Difference Between Them Is Where Objects...
Myopia vs. Hyperopia
Myopia and hyperopia are common — but essentially opposite — types of vision problems. The biggest difference between them is where objects appear in focus. People with myopia (nearsightedness) see nearby objects more clearly. People with hyperopia (farsightedness) see distant objects more clearly.
Conversely, nearsightedness makes distant objects look blurry. Farsightedness blurs objects that are close to you. The difference between being nearsighted or farsighted is a matter of where light focuses inside the eye.
After light enters our eye through the pupil, it needs to be neatly focused on the retina in the back of the eye. When light enters the eye and does not focus properly on the retina, it causes blurry vision.
| Medical term | Myopia | Hyperopia or hypermetropia |
| What is in focus? | Close-up objects | Distant objects |
| What looks blurry? | Distant objects | Close-up objects |
| Eyeball shape (in most cases) | Too long (front to back) | Too short (front to back) |
| Where light focuses inside the eye | Too far in front of the retina | Too far past the retina |
What is nearsighted vision?
The medical term for nearsightedness is myopia. In a nearsighted eye, light focuses too far in front of the retina, instead of directly on it.
This usually happens because the eyeball has grown too long from front to back. But it can also be due to the shape or location of the cornea and lens in the eye.
When light focuses in front of the retina, distant objects look blurry and nearby objects look clearer.
Nearsightedness usually develops during childhood and gets progressively worse throughout adolescence. It then stabilizes during early adulthood. Children who have progressive myopia may need specialized glasses, contacts or eye drops to slow the progression. This is called myopia control.
About four times as many people have myopia versus hyperopia. Approximately 40% of Americans are nearsighted, while only 5-10% are farsighted.
SEE RELATED: Why myopia progression in children is a growing concern
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
