Hyperopia, also known as farsightedness, is a condition in which a person can see distant objects more clearly than near objects. The focusing power of a hyperopic eye is too weak, usually because the eye is shorter than normal. When an eyeball is short, light rays from near objects do not focus properly on the retina at the back of the eye. The result is blurred vision. Hyperopia may be inherited. A young person with a hyperopia can compensate by tensing the muscles around the lens to bring objects into focus. As one grows older, however, symptoms of eye strain and blurry vision are noticed. A hyperopic person will need reading glasses earlier than normal and eventually will need glasses to focus on both distance and near objects.

Presbyopia is often confused with hyperopia because both contribute to the need for reading glasses. But there is a distinction. The hyperopic eye has a focusing power that is too weak when the focusing muscles in the eye are relaxed. In the presbyopic eye, the focusing muscles can no longer exert much effect. Presbyopia can co-exist with either hyperopia or myopia.

Mild to moderate hyperopia can be treated with LASIK and PRK/LASEK. High and extreme hyperopia cases can sometimes be treated with natural lens replacement.