If you are farsighted, you may wonder if you can get LASIK. Does LASIK work for hyperopia? Keep reading to learn more about hyperopia and laser vision correction with the South Texas Eye Institute!
What Is Hyperopia?
Hyperopia is the medical term for farsightedness. When you are farsighted, things that are far away are clear but things close up are blurry. With farsightedness, tasks like reading a book become frustrating. A book will be a blur, while it will be easy to make out a face in the crowd.
LASIK surgery can correct hyperopia. It is important to note that LASIK may not be right for everyone with hyperopia. The only way to know for sure if you’re a LASIK candidate is to get a free consultation at the South Texas Eye Institute.
How Can LASIK Correct Hyperopia?
When correcting hyperopia, the LASIK procedure is the same. Hyperopia is a refractive error, like nearsightedness. A refractive error means that light is not reflected properly when it enters the cornea.
After light is reflected onto the cornea, it’s sent to the brain as an image. This image tells the brain what we are seeing or looking at.
With a refractive error, the light isn’t bent properly and lands anywhere except the center of the retina. Other common refractive errors include myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism.
If you are a candidate for LASIK, the procedure is the same, regardless of what kind of refractive error you have.
The LASIK surgeon first creates a corneal flap, which helps reshape the cornea. By reshaping the cornea, refractive errors become corrected.
Will LASIK Work For You?
Even if you want LASIK, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be a candidate automatically. During your LASIK consultation, you will have a comprehensive eye exam. Your eyes will be examined for the following factors:
- A stable prescription for at least one year before LASIK. An unstable prescription means your eyes may continue to change. LASIK surgeons prefer to operate on a patient whose eyes will not change.
- Your general health will be taken into consideration. If you are unhealthy, a procedure like LASIK may result in serious side effects.
- Your eye health. Healthy eyes are less likely to get infected after LASIK. If you have diabetic retinopathy or another condition, you may not be a good LASIK candidate.
- If you suffer from chronic dry eye. Dry eyes before LASIK can make the recovery process much more difficult. Most doctors recommend getting your dry eye under control before seriously considering LASIK.
- Proper corneal thickness. The above factors are all important, but if your corneas are too thin, you cannot get LASIK. A tiny amount of corneal tissue is removed during LASIK. If your corneas are too thin, you’ll suffer severe side effects after the procedure. This could even manifest as permanent vision loss!
If you are a good candidate for LASIK, the next step is to schedule your procedure! Have questions for the South Texas Eye Institute about LASIK? Contact our team of doctors in San Antonio today!
