Can long sightedness be cured?
It can be corrected rather than cured. Glasses, contact lenses and refractive surgery all change where light focuses in the eye; the shape of the eye itself is unchanged, and it can keep changing with age. Long sightedness can also be corrected during cataract surgery, when the natural lens is replaced anyway.
- Subject
- Vision problems
- Topic
- Hyperopia (long sightedness)
- Kind of question
- Other questions
- Procedures
- LASIK, PRK, Cataract surgery
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
What this answer depends on
- The size of the prescription and the shape of the cornea
- Whether you also have astigmatism or reading-vision loss
- Which of the options a full assessment supports
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Vision problems & prescriptions in Hyperopia (long sightedness) . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
Subjects this question touches
The pages that answer the subject behind the question, rather than the question itself.
- Condition Hyperopia (long sightedness)
- Procedure LASIK
- Procedure Femto LASIK
- Comparison LASIK vs SMILE
- Comparison LASIK vs PRK
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)
The equivalent clinical reference chapter for LASIK, used so that comparisons describe both procedures symmetrically.
Used for How LASIK creates and manages a corneal flap; LASIK complication categories.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Cataracts in adults: management (NG77)
Clinical guidance on when cataract surgery is indicated, what should be discussed before it, and what follow-up is expected.
Used for When cataract surgery is considered appropriate rather than cosmetic timing; What patients should be told before cataract surgery.
Link checked 23 September 2026