You’ve probably heard the saying, “I have normal vision” but what does that really mean?
“20/20 means normal vision,” says Comprehensive Ophthalmologist, Leon Gross. “The 20 has to do with the number of feet away at which you are being examined. So if you’re 20 feet away and you’re seeing what a normal person sees, that’s 20/20.”
The first number never changes because people are always examined by a Snellen Eye Chart from 20 feet away. What does change is the second number. The second number tells us how well someone is able to read the letters on the Snellen chart at 20 feet away. So the larger the second number, the worse the vision.
For example, if you have 20/40 vision, it means you must be as close as 20 feet to see what a person with normal vision can see at 40 feet. Even though 20/20 means normal vision, it doesn’t necessarily mean perfect vision. Some people can see well at a distance but are unable to bring closer objects into focus because of hyperopia (farsightedness) or presbyopia (loss of focusing ability).
In order to diagnose any causes that may be affecting your ability to see well, we recommend scheduling a comprehensive eye examination at one of our Atlanta area Thomas Eye Group locations.
Schedule your appointment today by clicking here or call 678-892-2020.
You can visit any of our 9 conveniently located offices
