What Does 20/20 Mean?

If you’ve been postponing regular visits to a doctor of optometry because they once told you that you had 20/20 vision, then you should keep reading.

“I have 20/20 vision” are words you may have uttered while bragging about having tip-top eyesight, however, it’s not that simple. In fact, it’s highly probable that many people don’t even know what those numbers means. 20/20 vision only represents the clarity of your vision when viewing objects 20 feet in the distance, CNIB explains:

Normal vision is known as “20/20”. This simply means that the eye being tested is able to see an object at 20 feet as well as any eye with very good vision. If you have 20/60 vision, this means you can see at 20 feet what a person with good vision can see at 60 feet. … if the change in vision is to 20/200 or worse, the person will still keep some vision but will be classified as “blind”.

Optometrists take multiple factors into consideration when determining the quality of your vision. A few of those factors include eye focusing, coordination, movement, teaming, as well as visual perceptual skills and color vision.

It should be noted that the quality of your eyesight and eye health are not mutually exclusive. Glaucoma, a progressive eye disease caused by increased pressure in the eye, demonstrates that you can have all the signs of good vision while unknowingly living with an eye disease that is one of the leading causes of blindness in Canada.

To stay in the know about the true state of your vision and eye health, make sure to book regular visits with your local doctor of optometry.