Marksmanship requires clear vision in order to hit a target precisely. An expert marksman with superb eyesight may be able to spot their target from over a mile away and hit it dead-on – but what about us mere mortals with less-than-ideal vision? What exactly does “-5.5 vision” entail?
It’s Not Legally Blind
Though -5.5 vision may not be ideal, it does not qualify as legally blind. People with this eyesight can still read letters on a Snellen chart with equal clarity as those who possess 20/20 vision. Simply stated, those with this eyesight have normal visual acuity: this means they see objects clearly close up but the details become blurry when viewing from further away – this is common among farsighted people; don’t fret though as there are several solutions available to correct your vision such as glasses, contacts or LASIK; all it takes is finding the one right for YOU!
It’s Normal
Someone with 20/200 vision would have a visual acuity score of 20/200 on the Snellen chart if they weren’t wearing corrective lenses; this means their vision matches that of someone with normal 20 feet (6 meters) distance eyesight.
So if your vision falls below -1.00, that indicates one diopter of nearsightedness; any reading above this would constitute more serious nearsightedness and require stronger (thicker) prescriptions.
Remember, eyesight measurements include both prescription lenses and uncorrected vision; for instance, having 20/20 vision with lenses fitted is equivalent to having -5.5 vision without them.
It’s Farsighted
People with vision of -5.5 do not fall under legal blindness categories, they are simply farsighted (also called hyperopia). Farsightedness (also called hyperopia), is a common eye condition that makes close up objects difficult to see. It’s caused by various factors, including your eye’s shape and length from front to back as well as whether its lens and cornea bend light correctly and focus it onto the retina at the back of your eyeball – but if either your eyeshorten front to back or cornea are too flat then light may fall behind rather than onto your retina – two causes that will contribute significantly towards its severity.
Blurred close-up vision can reduce quality of life significantly by making reading, using computers or smartphones, seeing amounts on receipts or invoices, squinting, straining and leading to headaches more difficult. It may also result in strain-induced headaches.
Farsightedness can be fixed with prescription eyeglasses or contacts and refractive surgery, both of which offer pain-free solutions. To get started, schedule a vision exam online or at your local eye care provider; they’ll perform an easy, noninvasive examination and help you select which options best meet your visual needs.
It’s a Refractive Error
At -5.5 vision, moderately severe myopia (farsightedness) is present. Your Snellen chart eye sight score would be 5.5 without correction; however, that number doesn’t directly correspond to inches or feet – it represents your ability to discern details at certain distances from close-range objects; when objects move further away however, clarity diminishes and vision blurs when trying to see details at close range or recognize faces; making reading road signs, watching television from across the room or recognising faces difficult or creating headaches due to strain or having to constantly squinting to focus on something specific.
Reason being that your eyes do not bend light correctly. Your retina, located at the back of your eyeball, translates patterns of light into electrical signals which are processed by your brain; refractive errors cause these electrical signals to appear blurry or distorted and may result in changes to eye length (longer or shorter than usual), astigmatism or presbyopia, a condition in which lenses lose their ability to focus light properly over time.
Refractive errors can be detected during a comprehensive eye exam. Your eye doctor will ask you to read a chart while looking through various lenses in order to assess how efficiently your eyes refract light.
