What is 20/20 Vision?

Share on Social Media

20/20 vision a term used to describe normal visual acuity — the sharpness of a person’s vision — measured at a distance of 20 feet. If a person has 20/20 vision it means that they can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at a distance. If someone has 20/100 vision it means that they must be as close to 20 feet as possible to see what a person with normal vision could see at 100 feet.

The Snellen Eye Chart is a test that is used to measure a person’s distance visual acuity. The chart contains rows of letters, numbers or symbols printed in standardized graded sizes.

20/20 doesn’t necessarily mean that you have perfect vision, it only indicates that the sharpness or clarity of your vision at a distance. There are other important visual skills such as peripheral awareness, depth perception, eye coordination, color vision, and focusing ability that contribute to your overall visual ability as well. Some people can see very well at a distance, but are unable to focus on objects that are close to them. This condition can be caused by presbyopia (loss of focusing ability) or hyperopia (farsightedness). Other people can see items that are close, but not those that are far away. This is known as myopia (nearsightedness). A comprehensive eye exam can help to determine if there is anything that is affecting your ability to see well.

Fun facts regarding visual acuity:

  • The Snellen Eye Chart was created in the 1860s by Dutch eye doctor, Herman Snellen. There have been other charts that have been created that might also be used during an eye exam such as the Tumbling E Chart. The Tumbling E Chart features capital letter E’s facing in different directions. This chart comes in handy when examining children who don’t yet know the alphabet or for people who aren’t familiar with the English language and alphabet. Rather than say a letter, they can pick the smallest line of E’s that they can see, and say or point to which way the “arms” of the E in that line are facing. Numerous studies have shown that this chart and the Snellen chart come up with nearly the same results.
  • Around 1 million aged 40 and older in the United States are considered to be legally blind.
  • To obtain a driver’s license in the US, you need to have at least 20/40 vision or better.

Share on Social Media
GARDEN CITY, LONG ISLAND
450 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530
Phone: 516.832.8000
For a LASIK consultation, please call (516) 832-8000 ext. 4
MANHATTAN
185 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor (On the corner of 34th Street) New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212.689.7676
For a LASIK consultation, please call (516) 832-8000 ext. 4
HAUPPAUGE, LONG ISLAND
200 Motor Parkway, Suite D-25 Hauppauge, NY 11788
Phone: 631.952.8000
For a LASIK consultation, please call (516) 832-8000 ext. 4
spanish flagamerican flag
HIPAA Policy PRIVACY POLICY SECTION 1557 - AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Accessibility Disclaimer
Facebook Twitter Instagram Blog

If you are seeking a Long Island LASIK specialist, the eye doctors at Stahl Eyecare Experts would like to offer you a great opportunity in laser eye surgery. Brought to you by professional, experienced Long Island LASIK surgeons, our one-of-a-kind medical facility brings not only cutting-edge technology, but experienced hands in ophthalmology as well. Helping you achieve your personal best vision is mission critical at our Long Island LASIK office. If LASIK cost is something that has been holding you back please feel free to review our options regarding LASIK Financing. We are dedicated to providing the best in patient education so that our patients can make a well-educated decision as to whether or not LASIK would be a good vision correction option. Remember, not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK. This is precisely why you need to have an experienced LASIK surgeon in Long Island evaluate you to make sure that this is the right eye surgery procedure for you! If LASIK is not the best procedure for you, we offer other ophthalmology procedures such as cataract surgery to help you see better. If you are seeking a Long Island cataract surgeon we are happy to offer cataract consultations to educate you about this process and determine your vision correction options.

If you are using a screen reader and are having problems using this website, please call 516.832.8000.

All Rights Reserved. Stahl Eyecare Experts ©2024

Stahl Eyecare Experts
Back to top