New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eye examination

An eye examination is a battery of tests performed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist assessing vision and ability to focus on and discern objects, as well as other tests and examinations pertaining to the eyes. All people should have periodic and thorough eye examinations as part of routine care by the primary care physician, especially since many eye diseases are silent or asymptomatic.

Eye examinations may detect potentially treatable blinding eye diseases, ocular manifestations of systemic disease, or signs of tumours or other anomalies of the brain. Visual acuity is the eye's ability to detect fine details and is the quantitative measure of the eye's ability to see an in-focus image at a certain distance. The standard definition of normal visual acuity (20/20 or 6/6 vision) is the ability to resolve a spatial pattern separated by a visual angle of one minute of arc. The terms 20/20 and 6/6 are derived from standardized sized objects that can be seen by a "person of normal vision" at the specified distance. For example, if one can see the normal object that can usually be seen at 20 ft at a distance of 20 ft, then you have 20/20. If one can see at 20 ft what a normal person can see at 40 ft, then the vision is 20/40. Similarly, if one can see at 20 ft an object size that normally can be seen at 200 ft, then the vision is 20/200.

Related Stories
 


Health & Medicine News

November 16, 2025

Penn State scientists identified a striking rise in melanoma across several Pennsylvania counties dominated by cropland and herbicide use. The elevated risk persisted even after factoring in sunlight, suggesting an environmental influence beyond the ...
Researchers found that ancient hominids—including early humans—were exposed to lead throughout childhood, leaving chemical traces in fossil teeth. Experiments suggest this exposure may have driven genetic changes that strengthened ...
A newly recognized set of T helper cells seems to guard against aging by eliminating harmful senescent cells. Their presence in supercentenarians suggests they may be a key to maintaining a healthier, age-balanced immune ...
Researchers found that tau proteins don’t jump straight into forming Alzheimer’s-associated fibrils—first they assemble into soft, reversible clusters. When the clusters were dissolved, fibril growth was almost entirely suppressed. This ...
Scientists identified a small molecule that interrupts a harmful protein pair linked to diabetic inflammation and tissue damage. The compound helped wounds heal faster and reduced organ stress in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes models. Unlike ...
By reactivating a long-lost gene, researchers were able to lower uric acid levels and stop damaging fat accumulation in human liver models. The breakthrough hints at a future where gout and several metabolic diseases could be prevented at the ...
Researchers uncovered how fatty molecules called ceramides trigger acute kidney injury by damaging the mitochondria that power kidney cells. By altering ceramide metabolism or using a new drug candidate, the team was able to protect mitochondrial ...
Researchers have created a prediction method that comes startlingly close to real-world results. It works by aiming for strong alignment with actual values rather than simply reducing mistakes. Tests on medical and health data showed it often ...
Scientists studying aging found that sensory inputs like touch and smell can cancel out the lifespan-boosting effects of dietary restriction by suppressing the key longevity gene fmo-2. When overactivated, the gene makes worms oddly indifferent to ...
Exercise appears to spark a whole-body anti-aging cascade, and scientists have now mapped out how it happens—and how a simple oral compound can mimic it. By following volunteers through rest, intense workouts, and endurance training, researchers ...
Ultra-endurance athletes can push their bodies to extraordinary extremes, but even they run into a hard biological wall. Researchers tracked ultra-runners, cyclists, and triathletes over weeks and months, discovering that no matter how intense the ...
Researchers have uncovered surprising evidence that anxiety may be controlled not by neurons but by two dueling groups of immune cells inside the brain. These microglia act like biological pedals—one pushing anxiety forward and the other holding ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:56 pm ET