CorneaCare Logo
  • CorneaCare Logo
  • Shop
    • Shop All
    • Eyelid Hygiene
    • Eye Vitamins
    • Eye Drops
    • Eyecare Routines
  • Education
    • Dry Eye 101
    • Causes & Diagnosis
    • Lifestyle
    • Treatment
    • Why It Matters
  • Community
  • App
  • Contact us
  • Login
  • My Account
Login
0
  • Shop
  • Education
  • Community
  • Our App
Menu
  • Shop
  • Education
  • Community
  • Our App

A-Z Glossary

Table of Contents

20/20 Vision

Written byDanielle Stoken
Danielle StokenEye Health & Wellness ContributorPittsburgh, PA

Bio

I was so excited when I learned about CorneaCare and am honored to share content, tips and stories about dry eye! I am a certified Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative nutrition so the intersection of nutrition/lifestyle and dry eye disease is one that I am particularly passionate about. Since recently becoming a mom, I care even more about my eye care and self-care and am learning so much through CorneaCare's educational resources.

Get to know me a little better!

Hobby: baking sourdough bread
Food: pasta
Superhero: my dad
Guilty pleasure: cold brew coffee (really, any coffee)
Secret power: serious facial recognition/recollection

Training:

Undergraduate: Carnegie Mellon University
Nutrition training: Institute for Integrative Nutrition

  • Updated May 3, 2022

What is 20/20 Vision?

20/20 vision is a term used to describe good visual acuity (clarity) when measured from about 20 feet away. A person with 20/20 vision can see clearly without glasses or contact lenses at a distance of 20 feet.¹ 

Measuring visual acuity is typically the first step in an eye exam and the first step an eye doctor takes in understanding your overall eye health. While 20/20 vision does not mean someone has perfect vision, understanding visual acuity is important for eye doctors to determine the right treatment plan.

Key Takeaways

  • 20/20 vision is the standard measure of visual acuity for someone with normal vision.
  • Having 20/20 vision does not mean that you have perfect vision because it does not account for other visual impairments like depth perception, color vision and conditions that affect eye health.
  • There are many reasons why vision can be less than 20/20 which is why annual comprehensive eye exams are important for overall eye health. 

Understanding 20/20 Vision

While it does not mean you have perfect vision, 20/20 vision is a measure of the sharpness of your vision, which along with other visual tests, helps your eye doctor determine if you need corrective lenses.¹

The goal of corrective lenses (glasses or contact lenses) is to bring vision to 20/20. While it is not an indication of overall eye health, it is important for eye doctors (optometrists and ophthalmologists) to understand the sharpness of your vision in order to correct your eyesight.

Determining 20/20 Vision

During an eye exam, an eye doctor will measure your visual acuity with a chart called a Snellen eye chart.² He or she will have you typically sit or stand 20 feet away from the chart and read letters, which get progressively smaller as you go down each line of the chart.²

The results tell your eye doctor the sharpness of your vision, read as X/Y.² 

  • X is how many feet you are from the chart. 
  • Y is the distance in feet that the average person with normal eyesight can read the same line. 

For example, if you have 20/40 vision (the lowest visual acuity allowed for driving in most states), it means that you must be as close as 20 feet from a point to see what a person with normal vision can see at 40 feet.²

20/15 vs 20/20 Vision

Someone with 20/15 vision can see better than the average person. They can see a point from 20 feet away when someone with normal vision needs to be 15 feet away to see the same point.² 

20/15 vision is most frequent in younger populations with good eye health.² 

What causes vision to be less than 20/20?

Numerous eye conditions can lead to poor vision that results in less than 20/20 vision. These are called refractive errors and include¹:

  • Hyperopia (farsightedness): Being able to see well at distance but not up close
  • Myopia (nearsightedness): Poor distance vision
  • Astigmatism: Condition caused by an irregular curvature of the eye leading to blurred vision

Someone with 20/200 vision is considered legally blind. This means they can only see something from 20 feet away that the average person can see from 200 feet away.³  

Bibliography

  1. “Visual Acuity | AOA.” American Optometric Association, https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/vision-and-vision-correction/visual-acuity?sso=y. Accessed 11 April 2022.
  2. Vimont, Celia. “What Does 20/20 Vision Mean?” American Academy of Ophthalmology, https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/what-does-20-20-vision-mean. Accessed 11 April 2022.
  3. Brennan, Dan. “20/20 Vision: What is Visual Acuity, How It’s Tested, and More.” WebMD, 18 June 2021, https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/what-is-acuity-of-vision. Accessed 11 April 2022.

 

Related Terms

Loading...

Epiretinal Membrane

is fibrous tissue (scar tissue) that forms on the top of the retina.

Anterior Chamber

is located between the iris and the innermost corneal surface. It is filled with fluid called aqueous humor.

Dacryostenosis

is inflammation of the nasolacrimal duct (tear sac), mainly due to poor tear drainage.

Canaliculitis

is a disease of the lacrimal canaliculus, which is a small duct in the eyelid.

Blepharochalasis

Occurs when the eyelids suddenly become inflamed and swell.

Related Articles

Loading...
  • Eye Health & Wellness

Can You Wear Contacts with a Stye?

5 min read

Can you wear contacts with a stye? A stye is the result of an infection in your eyelids, and avoiding contacts may be best.
Danielle Stoken

Danielle Stoken

  • Eye Health & Wellness

What To Do if You or Kids Get Sand in the Eye 

6 min read

Getting sand in the eye is not something to panic over. But, you should take steps immediately to flush it out.
Danielle Stoken

Danielle Stoken

  • Eye Health & Wellness

Treating and Preventing Firework Debris in the Eye

5 min read

Fireworks debris in the eye can cause serious damage if not managed properly. Enjoy firework displays while protecting your eyes.
Danielle Stoken

Danielle Stoken

Logo_Corneacare_White

    • Shop
    • Education
    • Community
    • App
    • Blog
    • Eye Glossary
    Menu
    • Shop
    • Education
    • Community
    • App
    • Blog
    • Eye Glossary
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    Menu
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    • Blog
    • Eye Glossary
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    Menu
    • Blog
    • Eye Glossary
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    • Blog
    • Eye Glossary
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    Menu
    • Blog
    • Eye Glossary
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    Instagram Facebook_Pink Youtube Twitter

    Copyright – © 2022 CorneaCare, Inc. ⚡️ All rights reserved