DiagnosisLong-sightedness
You can find out if you have long-sightedness by having an eye test at your local opticians.
Having an eye test at least every two years is usually recommended, but you can have a test at any point if you have any concerns about your vision.
For some people – such as children under 16, or those under 19 and in full-time education – eye tests are available free of charge on the NHS.
Read about NHS eyecare entitlements to check if you qualify.
What happens during an eye test
Your eyes will usually be tested by an optometrist (someone who's been specially trained to examine the eyes).
A number of different tests may be carried out as part of your eye test, possibly including:
- measurements of the pressure inside your eyes
- checks to measure how well your eyes work together
- visual acuity tests – where you're asked to read from a chart that has rows of letters that get smaller on each line
- retinoscopy – where a bright light is shone into your eye to see how your eye reacts to it
If the tests detect a possible problem with your near vision, you may be asked to repeat the visual acuity tests while different strength lenses are placed in front of your eyes.
This will help the optometrist to determine what your glasses prescription should be.
Understanding your glasses prescription
If an eye test finds that you're long-sighted, you'll be given a prescription that describes what lenses you need to improve your vision. This can be used to make glasses or contact lenses.
Your prescription will usually consist of three main numbers for each eye. These are:
- Sph (sphere) – a positive number here indicates that you're long-sighted, while a negative number indicates that you're short-sighted
- Cyl (cylinder) – this number indicates whether you have astigmatism (where the front of your eye isn't perfectly curved)
- Axis – this describes the angle of any astigmatism you have
If you're long-sighted, the Sph number is the most relevant. This is given in a measurement called dioptres (D), which describes how severely long-sighted you are.
A score up to 3D is usually considered to be mild long-sightedness, while a score of more than 6D is considered to be fairly severe long-sightedness.