Visual acuity test

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Eye

Visual acuity test

Normal, near, and farsightedness

Overview

Risks

Results

Visual acuity test

Alternative Names:

Eye test - acuity; Vision test - acuity

Normal Values:

Visual acuity is expressed as a fraction. The top number refers to the distance you stand from the chart. This is usually 20 feet. The bottom number indicates the distance at which a person with normal eyesight could read the same line you correctly read. For example, 20/20 is considered normal. 20/40 indicates that the line you correctly read at 20 feet can be read by a person with normal vision from 40 feet away.

What abnormal results mean:

Abnormal results may indicate that you need corrective lenses to obtain normal vision, or may indicate an eye condition requiring further evaluation.

Related topics:

Nearsightedness
Farsightedness
Presbyopia
Amblyopia (lazy eye)

Review Date: 4/8/2005
Reviewed By: Raymond S. Douglas, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Ophthalmology, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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