What is the difference between near and farsightedness ?

Nearsightedness (myopia) is a "refractive error" of the eye where the default focal point is abnormally close. Depending on how much myopia you have, distance vision can be anywhere from mildly to severely blurred.

Farsightedness is where your vision is better at a distance than up close. The most common form of farsightedness is Presbyopia, the age-related kind due to the slow hardening of the natural lens of the eye. A less common type of farsightedness is Hyperopia. Unlike Presbyopia which does not (by itself) affect distance vision at all, hyperopia can appear at a young age and if severe enough, can affect distance vision as well as near.

All refractive errors, if there is no other ocular problem, should be able to be corrected with either spectacle or contact lenses.

_Written by J. Trevor Woodhams, M.D. - Chief of Surgery, Woodhams Eye Clinic