What Is The Snellen Eye Chart?

If you have ever had an eye exam done in an eye doctor's office it is likely that you have heard about the Snellen Eye Chart. This is an eye chart that is used to measure visual acuity (sharp eyesight). It was named after a Dutch eye doctor called Herman Snellen who developed it in 1862. What does the Snellen chart consist of? The Snellen chart consists of 11 rows of capital letters. The very first letter at the top of the eye chart is a capital E. There are also a series of subsequent rows of capital letters that become progressively smaller from line to line. The smaller the rows of capital letters the sharper the visual acuity. For instance, the line that says 20/20 is forth from the bottom line and is subsequently followed by the 20/15,20/10 and the 20/5 line. If you can read the bottom row of the smallest letters then you have excellent vision.

Visual acuity is measured from a distance of 20 feet. The patient is required to stand from a distance of about 20 feet to read the letters without the assistance of glasses or contacts. The patient is asked to cover one eye and read the smallest letter that he can see from the eye chart. If you have 20/20 vision this is considered normal eyesight. 20/20 vision means that you can see clearly at a distance of 20 feet what the average person is able to see at that particular distance.

The Snellen eye chart has its limitations due to the fact that it only measures visual acuity. Therefore, it cannot detect whether or not you have any underlying medical problems associated with your vision condition. According to developmental optometrist Dr. Kellye Kneuppel, the Snellen chart only detects nearsightedness and misses other vision conditions such as Astigmatism and farsightedness.

Furthermore, Dr. Knueppel explains that vision problems that kids experience associated with the lack of teamwork between both eyes and difficulty tracking lines are all vision problems that go undetected even with a Snellen eye chart test. These undetected problems can lead to academic problems and learning difficulties. For this reason, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends a baseline eye exam that gives a comprehensive examination of a patient's eye health. Such a comprehensive eye exam can detect underlying problems such as Glaucoma, vision issues related to the retina, eye problems associated with Diabetes or high blood pressure to name a few. Additionally, it can detect problems focusing when reading and vision issues related to lack of teamwork between both eyes.

When it comes to getting a comprehensive examination that determines the state of your overall eye health a baseline eye exam is recommended. On the other hand when it comes to correcting vision conditions a reliance on glasses or contacts will not address the underlying causes of your vision problems. If you are looking for a natural solution to solve your vision problems while addressing the root causes of poor eyesight, then, an eye exercise program to improve your vision naturally is highly recommended.

Such a program corrects or reduces vision conditions related to nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. You will also find that the regular and diligent practice of these easy eye exercise techniques can provide certain fringe benefits. These include an improvement in mental focus and concentration, the teamwork of the eyes and the vision correction of problems focusing while reading. Ultimately, these are all skills that are necessary for academic achievement and lead to an increase in your overall eye health.

My name is Joel King. I am an internet marketer, City College graduate and vision improvement success story. I enjoy sharing natural eye exercise techniques with others searching for a natural alternative to glasses, contacts and laser surgery. Take the next step to clearer, sharper vision without glasses with the pursuit of this quick, fun and easy vision improvement program.Track your vision improvement progress with these kick ass eye charts included in the program Visit http://betternaturalvision.com today



 By Joel Travers King


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