Short-sightedness is a type of refractive error where one is unable to see far well. It occurs in both the young and older people. Singapore has one of the highest prevalence of short-sightedness in the world.
Long-sightedness is another type of refractive error where one is unable to see near. Young people’s eyes with low levels of long-sightedness are able to accommodate which allow them to see without glasses. Akin to short-sightedness, it can occurs in both young and older people.
It is not possible to have the same eye to have both short-sightedness and long-sightedness. I believe what you are referring to is presbyopia, more commonly known as ‘lao hua’ in Mandarin. Presbyopia occurs when the natural lens in the eye loses its ability to accommodate and this usually only occurs to one who is aged 40 and above. A person with presbyopia will need reading glasses for near tasks.
It is advisable to visit an optometrist or an ophthalmologist to get fitted with a pair of glasses, should you experience difficulty seeing things far and/or near.
