Vision level refers to how clear or sharp your eyesight is, typically measured from a specific distance.
Vision level, commonly referred to by eye care specialists as visual acuity, is a standard measurement used to assess the clarity and sharpness of your vision.
Understanding Visual Acuity
Based on standard measurements, visual acuity specifically measures how well you can see details on an object when you are 20 feet away from it. This is a fundamental way eye care professionals evaluate the quality of your sight.
What the 20/20 Standard Means
The most widely recognized measure of vision level is the 20/20 standard.
- 20/20 vision indicates that your vision is typical.
- At 20 feet away, you can see what a person with typical vision can also see at 20 feet away.
- It is important to note that having 20/20 vision does not mean your vision is perfect. It simply means your visual acuity meets the standard benchmark for normal vision at that distance.
Measuring Vision Level
Vision level, or visual acuity, is typically assessed using standardized eye charts. During an eye exam, you read letters of decreasing size from a distance of 20 feet (or the equivalent distance using mirrors).
The results are expressed as a fraction (e.g., 20/20, 20/40).
- The first number (20) represents the distance you are from the chart (20 feet).
- The second number indicates the distance at which a person with typical 20/20 vision could read the same line.
Here's a simple way to look at different vision levels:
| Visual Acuity | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 20/20 | You see at 20 feet what a person with typical vision sees at 20 feet. |
| 20/40 | You see at 20 feet what a person with typical vision sees at 40 feet. |
| 20/100 | You see at 20 feet what a person with typical vision sees at 100 feet. |
A higher number in the denominator indicates poorer vision acuity. For example, someone with 20/100 vision needs to be 20 feet away from an object to see it as clearly as someone with 20/20 vision can see the same object from 100 feet away.
In summary, vision level, or visual acuity, is a key measure of how clearly you see at a distance of 20 feet, with 20/20 representing typical vision.
