Visual Acuity
Visual acuity is the
ability to distinguish details and shapes of
objects. Also called central vision, visual
acuity is a very important statistic in the eye
doctor's office.
A visual acuity test is
performed by placing an eyechart twenty feet away
from a patient and having them read the eyechart to
the smallest letters they can see. This test
is performed one eye at a time. The reading is
written as 20/#. The first number (20)
denoting the patient's distance (in feet) from the
chart, the second number denoting the distance (in
feet) an eye with perfect vision can read the same
line.
A visual acuity
reading is the most important element of an eye
test. It gives the doctor a gauge, or starting
point to determine the health of the eye's vision. |
