Hyperopia, also called farsightedness, is a condition in which a person has difficulty seeing objects that are located close to the eye, although vision of distant objects (that is, far vision) is good. Farsightedness: Visual image is focused behind the retina. Normal vision occurs when light is focused directly on the retina rather than in front or behind it.   In most cases, farsightedness is an inherited condition that is caused by an abnormally short eye, as measured from front to back. This situation reduces the distance between the cornea (the clear film that covers the front of the eye) and the retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye). As a result, images tend to focus behind the retina, rather than on the retina itself. Sometimes, the eye is able to partially or totally compensate for this focusing problem through a process called accommodation. In accommodation, tiny ciliary muscles within the eye contract, altering the shape of the lens and bringing the viewed object into focus.   © 2005-2008 VISIONFOREGOLFING.COM AND TIMED DESIGNS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED