What is 20/20 Vision?

You may be pleased to hear that you have 20/20 vision and think you have perfect vision. But do you?

Not necessarily. 20/20 only indicates how sharp or clear your vision is at a distance. Overall vision also includes peripheral awareness or side vision, eye coordination, depth perception, focusing ability and color vision.

20/20 describes normal visual clarity or sharpness measured at a distance of 20 feet from an object. If you have 20/20 vision, you can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance. If you have 20/100 vision, it means that you must be as close as 20 feet to see what a person with normal vision can see at 100 feet.

Is 25/25 vision better than 20/20?

No. 25/25 means normal sharpness of vision, or visual acuity, at 25 feet just as 20/20 indicates normal vision at 20 feet.

Why do some people have less than 20/20?

The ability to see objects clearly is affected by many factors. Eye conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism or eye diseases influence visual acuity. Most people with vision slightly below 20/20 function very well, whereas some people who have better than 20/20 vision feel that their vision is not satisfactory. Everybody's visual expectations are different and satisfactory vision is far more complex than just being able to see 20/20.

If my vision is less than optimum, what can I do?

A comprehensive eye examination will identify causes that may affect your ability to see well. We may be able to prescribe glasses, contact lenses or a vision therapy program that will help improve your vision. If the reduced vision is due to an eye disease, the use of ocular medication or other treatment may be needed. If necessary, referral will be undertaken if an eye disease is found which warrants further investigation.