Vision Screening

[CompUser]

Is 20/40 vision bad? If so does it require correction?

At the vision screening at school thats what I scored. The nurse never told me but thats what I saw her write down. I was much better with one eye than with the other.

20/40 vision means at 20ft away you can see what someone with perfect vision can see from 40ft away. Right?

[clayj]

Is 20/40 vision bad? If so does it require correction?

At the vision screening at school thats what I scored. The nurse never told me but thats what I saw her write down. I was much better with one eye than with the other.

20/40 vision means at 20ft away you can see what someone with perfect vision can see from 40ft away. Right?Right, 20/40 means your clarity of vision at 20ft is what the "standard" clarity is at 40ft. A lot of optometrists have stopped using this system, preferring to go with the measurement of distortion ("diopters") instead.

20/40 lets you do a lot of stuff... you could probably still drive with that kind of vision. But you should talk to your optometrist about what your correction options are... as someone who's virtually blind (20/800 in both eyes, but corrected to 20/15 with glasses), I think it's important for you to be able to see as well as you can.

[w_parietti22]

As you can tell... clayj likes eyes. ;)

[CompUser]

so do I need glasses or not?

How much better would I be able to see?

[w_parietti22]

so do I need glasses or not?

How much better would I be able to see?

Go to your eye doctor and see what the options are.

[CompUser]

Go to your eye doctor and see what the options are.

I don't have one....yet. :cool:

[Abstract]

So get one, sport. Go on, you can do it!

I don't know what you expected us to be able to tell you when you first thought about posting this on a computer message board.

[katie ta achoo]

Go to your eye doctor and see what the options are.


Hehe, with my contacts, one eye is 20/17 and the other is 20/20.

I can read street signs from 300 feet away if a tree isn't in the way.

I"M LIKE AN EAGLE!

OK, no I'm not, but I would check it out with an eye doctor. :)

[w_parietti22]

I don't have one....yet. :cool:

Then ask friends that live in your area if they have one, and if they can recommend one.

[w_parietti22]

Hehe, with my contacts, one eye is 20/17 and the other is 20/20.

I can read street signs from 300 feet away if a tree isn't in the way.

I"M LIKE AN EAGLE!

OK, no I'm not, but I would check it out with an eye doctor. :)

20/17... thats pretty good. I have 20/20. but my brother has 20/15 :eek: (without contacts or anything)

[CompUser]

nvm

[jsw]

Absolutely, go to an eye doctor of some sort. With vision as relatively good as yours, it probably doesn't matter all that much who you go to for glasses, but i'd be pickier about who you let fit you for contacts.

If all you want is a cheap pair of glasses to see what better vision would be like, I'm sure that the glasses and the visit to get them won't set you back all that much.

Better vision = fewer headaches, among other benefits.

[jsw]

I just realized something. I went to a computer forums website for vision information before I even thought of asking my mom who's a pediatrician.

Strange.
Well, we are an informed lot. ;)

[w_parietti22]

OMG!! Katie! I didn't even realize it was you becuase of your new 'tar. lol :D

[Abstract]

I don't understand this 20/17 business. How can your eyes be better than "unflawed?" I'm guessing that my understanding of it is wrong, but is the "/20" in 20/20 the "average" distance that a person with "perfect vision" can see? I mean, even of people have so-called perfect vision, there's still going to be some differences in their capability to see something in particular during a given test, right?

[jsw]

I don't understand this 20/17 business. How can your eyes be better than "unflawed?" I'm guessing that my understanding of it is wrong, but is the "/20" in 20/20 the "average" distance that a person with "perfect vision" can see? I mean, even of people have so-called perfect vision, there's still going to be some differences in their capability to see something in particular during a given test, right?
No, the "/20" is what the average person with unimpaired vision sees.

I've heard of cases where people had as good as 20/10 and, reportedly, 20/5 or better vision. Which means they see much better than average. 20/20 isn't perfect, just good.

[w_parietti22]

I don't understand this 20/17 business. How can your eyes be better than "unflawed?" I'm guessing that my understanding of it is wrong, but is the "/20" in 20/20 the "average" distance that a person with "perfect vision" can see? I mean, even of people have so-called perfect vision, there's still going to be some differences in their capability to see something in particular during a given test, right?

let see... how to explain...

ok. (someone can probably say this better... but oh well)
20/20 is not the best vision you can have... but its not average. (from what I'm told) 20 is the "normal" vision. the second number is your vision. If the number is lower, you have better than "normal" vision. If the number is higher you have worse vision than "normal". Does that make sence?

PS- Someone please correct me if I'm completely wrong. :D

edit- I think I got mixed up. lol. :rolleyes:

[Abstract]

No no, I understand the concept. At 20/30 (for example), it means that my ability to see at 20 ft is what someone else with no sight problems can see at 30 ft, meaning they can see as clearly at 30 feet as I can see at only 20 feet.

However, what is "normal"? I always thought it was the average amount of clarity that person with no eye problems can see.

[jsw]

However, what is "normal"? I always thought it was the average amount of clarity that person with no eye problems can see.The average person does not have perfect vision (actually, no one has perfect vision). There have been some studies to determine the theoretical limit of human vision, and, IIRC, it's somewhere around 20/5. Meaning, if you had a theoretically perfect eye, optimal retinal health, etc., that's the best you could do. However, I'd be happy with something better than my current 20/800.