21/07/2026
Two students. Same IQ. Same subject. Same test.
One studies for two hours and gets 80%. The other studies for one hour and gets 80%.
We call the first one a hard worker. We call the second one bright.
But what if the difference isn't ability at all โ what if it's an eye?
This is what I see with farsightedness, and it is the most misunderstood condition I deal with.
Most people think farsighted means "distance is clear, near is blurry." In young people, that is often simply not the case. Children have enormous focusing power โ accommodation โ and a farsighted child will use it to bring everything into focus. Near, far, everywhere. Their vision looks perfect.
What you don't see is the effort holding it there.
- Headaches, particularly after school or homework
- Eye strain
- Blur that comes and goes โ clear at first, blurry after sustained reading, clear again after a break
- Avoidance of reading, homework, or screen work
- In children: behaviour that reads as distraction, or marks that sit below what the child is capable of
Here is what troubles me most. The children who are easiest to miss are the ones doing well. They pass. So nobody looks. They are simply paying double for the same mark โ and nobody, including them, knows it.
A parent said something to me after we corrected her son's vision that I have not forgotten: "This is the first term my son has passed in two years." One family, one outcome โ not a promise of what correction does for everyone. But it stays with you.
There is another sign worth knowing about: farsightedness is often accompanied by poor depth perception. That can show up as weak ball skills, clumsiness, or a child who is inconsistent at sport for no obvious reason. Before you decide a child isn't sporty โ it may be worth checking whether they can accurately judge where the ball is.
And it isn't only children. Adults often come to me when their demands change โ a new role with far more computer work, or starting university. The farsightedness was always there. The workload finally outgrew their ability to compensate for it.
A standard eye test asks whether you can see. A comprehensive evaluation asks what it costs you to see. Those are very different questions.
Read the full article here: https://deonoptom.co.za/2024/08/26/the-misunderstanding-of-farsightedness/
Does your child get headaches after homework, or avoid reading? Tell me in the comments โ I read every one.
