If you’re farsighted, your eyes have to work hard to see anything up close. This causes eyestrain. Some symptoms of farsightedness are due to this extra eyestrain. Symptoms include:

• blurry vision for words or objects up close
• squinting to see better
• an aching or burning sensation around your eyes
• a headache after reading or other tasks that require you to focus on something up close

In children, strabismus (crossed eyes) can develop when significant farsightedness hasn’t been diagnosed and corrected.

The simplest way to correct farsightedness is to get prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. These corrective lenses change the way light enters your eyes, helping you focus better. Young people’s eyes can often compensate for vision problems like farsightedness because their eyes’ lenses are still flexible. In fact, farsightedness in children often does not need to be corrected. An eye doctor may prescribe eyeglasses for a child if:

• there’s a big difference in vision between eyes
• they are developing strabismus (crossed eyes)
• their vision is greatly affected

Refractive surgery can also treat farsightedness. Surgery involves procedures like laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK). While this procedure is more commonly used to treat nearsightedness, it can also treat farsightedness. LASIK uses a laser to change your cornea’s curvature so that light refracts correctly and projects a focused image on your retina.