| a condition of the eye in which parallel rays are focused behind the retina, distant objects being seen more distinctly than near ones; farsightedness (opposed to myopia ). |
hy·per·me·tro·pi·a (hī'pər-mĭ-trō'pē-ə) n. See hyperopia. [Greek hupermetros, beyond measure (huper-, hyper- + metron, measure; see meter2) + -opia.] hy'per·me·tro'pic (-trō'pĭk, -trŏp'ĭk), hy'per·me·tro'pi·cal adj., hy'per·met'ro·py (-mět'rə-pē) n. |
hypermetropia hy·per·me·tro·pi·a (hī'pər-mĭ-trō'pē-ə)
n.
See hyperopia.
hyperopia hy·per·o·pi·a (hī'pə-rō'pē-ə)
n.
Abbr. H An abnormal condition of the eye in which vision is better for distant objects than for near objects. It results from the eyeball being too short for light rays to properly focus on the retina, thus forming a blurred image. Also called farsightedness, hypermetropia.
hypermetropia
refractive error or abnormality in which the cornea and lens of the eye focus the image of the visual field at an imaginary point behind the retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue lining the back and sides of the eye). The retina thus receives an unfocused image of near objects, though distant objects may be in focus. Hyperopia frequently occurs when an eye is shorter than normal from front to rear; the lens is then unable to increase its convexity sufficiently to focus the images of close objects onto the retina. Corrective lenses for hyperopia are designed to supply the additional convexity needed for focusing. Hyperopic laser in situ keratomileusis (H-LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy for hyperopia (H-PRK) are common surgical methods that reshape the cornea to improve vision in hyperopic patients.
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