Long Sighted or Short Sighted: What Does it Mean?

Ever wondered what it means to be short sighted or long sighted? We’re here to simplify and de-bunk what they mean and what it means for you. 

What Does Short Sighted Mean?

If you’ve been told that you are short sighted, you can normally see things close up, but struggle to see things in the distance.  

If you are short sighted and have your vision corrected with prescription glasses or contact lenses, you will need a minus (-) power of lens.  

The clinical term for short sightedness is Myopia.  

What Does Long Sighted Mean?

Being long sighted is the opposite of being short sighted. If you are long sighted this means that you can generally see quite well in the distance and struggle with things close up.  

To correct your vision, the lens power you require in your glasses or contact lenses are a plus (+) power  

If you are long sighted, the clinical name for this is Hypermetropia. 

I Have Presbyopia – What’s That?

We’re glad you asked. Presbyopia should not be confused with being long sighted. It can occur alongside being short or long sightedness, and if you have an astigmatism. 

Presbyopia happens as your eyes age. Around the age of 40-45 some people may find it difficult to focus on close objects – hence why it is easily confused with being long sighted. 

How your vision is corrected in regard to presbyopia, is by adding an extra plus power. This is known as a reading add/addition. 

Having presbyopia, like being short or long sighted, is nothing to worry about. Presbyopia will come to us all; it’s just part of the natural aging process.  

Vision Correction

We’ve touched on correcting vision above, but just to go into a little more detail, let’s discuss eye tests, glasses and contact lenses.  

So, you’ve noticed a change in your vision or have started to suffer from various symptoms, be that: 

• Squinting your eyes to see clearly 

• Objects near (being long sighted) or far away (being short sighted) being fuzzy or out of focus 

• Suffering with headaches 

• Having tired/strained eyes 

• Holding reading material further away than before 

• Difficultly reading small print 

If the above sounds familiar, then it’s time to make a date with your optician.  

After you’ve had your eye examination, if it has been confirmed that your vision needs correction you will be given a prescription and you can go choose your new eyewear.  

If you are short sighted or long sighted, then you need single vision prescription glasses or contact lenses.  

If you have been diagnosed with presbyopia, it maybe that you need your long or short sightedness correcting and have a reading addition too. 

In this case, you could have a pair of glasses for distance and one for close up work/reading glasses, or you could opt for Varifocals or Bifocals.  Bifocal lenses give you clear vision with both distance and close up vision. If you need to also see things a little clearer in a middle distance, then varifocals would be your answer.  

Eye examinations should take place every 2 years but depending on your eye health and family history it could be that you need to visit your optician more often. 

For more information on how to care for your eyes, read more on our blog.