Many people have heard of 20/20 vision at some point in their lives. While you may recognize that 20/20 vision is good, did you know this score only tells part of the story of your eye health? Arena Eye Care Optometry in Sacramento, CA, is here to explain what 20/20 vision means and how we can help improve your visual clarity.

What Is 20/20 Vision?

At its core, 20/20 vision refers to standard visual acuity. Our optometrists evaluate your visual acuity during an eye exam with an eye chart test. The first number in the score represents the distance the eye chart is from the patient. The second number is the distance a person with healthy vision can see the smallest letter on the chart without blurriness. Therefore, a person with 20/20 vision can see what the average person should be able to see at 20 feet.

Visual Acuity Is Only Part of the Story

Although 20/20 vision is a good indicator of your central vision, this score does not consider other aspects of eye health. Testing for visual acuity does not evaluate depth perception, peripheral vision, eye coordination, or color blindness. People can also have 20/20 vision and still require corrective lenses. For example, presbyopia is a refractive vision error that impacts your ability to read text or see objects closer to you. People with this condition often need reading glasses.

How We Can Help Your Vision

Refractive vision errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism often impact your visual acuity and lower your score. For example, someone with 20/40 vision likely has a vision error that requires correcting. Our optometrists can prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses to help improve your visual acuity. We can also refer you to an eye surgeon for LASIK surgery if you do not want to wear corrective lenses.

Achieve Clearer Vision by Visiting Arena Eye Care Optometry

Achieving clearer vision begins by scheduling an eye exam with your “eye doctor near you,” so contact Arena Eye Care Optometry in Sacramento, CA, to get the care necessary to improve your eye and vision health. Call us and schedule an appointment today at (916) 419-8167 to keep your eyes healthy and vision strong.