Friday, April 5, 2013

What Really is 20/20 Vision?



It’s widely known that LASIK eye surgery can give some patients 20/20 vision. But what does 20/20 vision really mean?

According to the American Optometric Association, “20/20 vision is a term used to express normal visual acuity (the clarity or sharpness of vision) measured at a distance of 20 feet. If you have 20/20 vision, you can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance.”

There are varying degrees of vision based on what research has shown that a “normal” person can see. Other examples include:
·         20/10 vision means that you can see at 20 feet what can normally be seen when standing 10 feet away (your vision is better than normal)
·         20/40 vision means that you have to stand 20 feet away from something to see what you should be able to see at 40 feet away (your vision is worse than normal)
·         20/100 vision means that what should be normally seen at 100 feet away requires you to stand 20 feet away to see it (your vision is poor)
·         20/200 vision is considered legal blindness in the United States

Having 20/20 vision does not mean you have perfect vision because other factors, such as peripheral vision, depth perception, color vision, eye coordination and focusing ability play into your overall visual attributes.

If you have less-than-ideal eyesight that causes you to need glasses or contacts to correct your nearsightedness (good close-up vision/bad distance vision), farsightedness (good distance vision/bad close-up vision) or astigmatism (impaired distance and close-up vision), LASIK may help correct your refractive error and put you into the “normal” 20/20 vision range. LASIK surgeons take into consideration many of your unique attributes before recommending LASIK surgery, including your overall eye health, corneal thickness and medical history. 

To find out if LASIK might be able to give you 20/20 vision, contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery to schedule your free LASIK Consultation. Call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com.

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