Services for Children

Anisometropic Hyperopia

(One eye has more hyperopia)

When each eye has a different degree of hyperopia, this is termed anisometropic hyperopia (aniso is Greek for “different” and metropia means “focusing error”).  The problem with anisometropia is that one eye focuses pretty well (or perfectly well) and the other eye does not focus as well. When one eye sends a better image to the brain than the other eye, the brain does not use the out of focus eye as much.  In anisometropic hyperopia, the more hyperopic eye is out of focus at all distances – this is a problem during visual development.   When a child younger than 8 years sends her brain a blurred image from one eye, the brain does not learn how to see well with that eye – this is called amblyopia.  If amblyopia is not corrected by the age of 8 years (or so), then the vision will always be less in that eye, even with glasses – the vision loss is permanent and irreversible because the brain is finished with “learning” to use the eye by that age.   In fact, it is increasingly difficult to reverse amblyopia as a child ages – it is much easier (and more effective) to reverse anisometropic hyperopic amblyopia in a 3 year old than in a 7 year old.