In the normal eye, light enters through the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye) and comes to a focus on the retina in the back of the eye. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is a refractive error that occurs when the eye is shorter than average or the cornea is flatter than average. This causes the light to come into focus somewhere beyond the retina, causing near objects (and oftentimes distant objects as well) to appear blurred.

Hyperopia is not the same as presbyopia (the need for reading glasses after the age of 40). Farsightedness can occur in children, but is more commonly developed later in life.

Hyperopia is usually corrected with glasses or contact lenses, but it can also be corrected surgically with LASIK.