How far down the chart at the optometrist's office can you usually read without glasses/contacts?

I’m with you, can’t even see the big ‘E’. It’s all blurry mess for me. I can put my hand out in front of my face (with my arm straight) and it’s blurry too. Last time I remember hearing what my vision was, it was 20/500. I know it’s gotten worse since then. I need to make an eye appointment soon. I’ll have to remember to ask what my vision is at now.

Until the second to last line, but I’ll mix up “f” and “t” & “o” and “c” somewhere around the middle of the chart. I am slightly myopic and have astigmatism in my left eye. My prescription isn’t very strong, but I need to wear glasses to read the board in class without straining my eyes.

@muppetish I have to be honest and say that I’m jealous.
@Seaofclouds I recently conducted my own study in which I held a shampoo bottle (the front with the large writing) in front of my face and moved it away until it got blurry. It was literally about 3 inches away from my eyes when it turned into a big smear. Terrible. I’ve worn glasses since I was 6, though, and my mother has terrible eyesight as well.

@TheOnlyNeffie I’m at about the same as you. I think I can make it to about 5 inches though (and doing that gives me a terrible headache). :) I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 8. My brother has been wearing glasses since he was 5, but it’s because he had a lazy eye when he was little (he even use to wear a patch). My mom didn’t need glasses until she was in her 30s and ended up with trifocals in her early 40s.

I am considered on the high end of the low visionn scale so I can see nothing on that chart and I can’t even tell they’re letters (though of course I know they are). Literally anything further than 2–3 inches away is really blurry. Even with my contacts, I can’t see much of the chart, I can’t read things like fast food menus, license numbers, or see my computer screen without leaning forward (or squinting like crazy) from a typical sitting position with the screen a few inches away.

I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 18 months old.

@TheOnlyNeffie I’m like you, I can’t see any of it. Just some color where the big E is.

I pretty much have the big “E” memorized but any lower than that it falls off to nothing.

Same as you – I’ve memorized the E but cannot see it.

They really should switch the chart up…

I’m curious, since there are so many of us responding that we can’t even see the ‘E’, when you go for your appointments, do they always have you do the eye test like you’re suddenly going to be able to see it? It always amazed me when I would go back to the eye doctor and they’d have me do the eye test. It gets old having to constantly remind them that I can’t even see the ‘E’.

@Seaofclouds That is actually a bit funny now that you mention it. I always know beforehand that I won’t be able to see the chart, but it never occurred to me that it is kind of a waste of time to even try. Unless I’m struck by a sudden miracle, I am never going to see that E without assistance.

@TheOnlyNeffie I thought about one day making a big deal out of it and saying something like “I see it! I see the ‘E’!” really excitedly and loudly. Then when they give me a strange look, I’d look down and say something like “okay, not really, but it would be awesome if I could”. I’ve never had the nerve to actually do it though.

What chart? Hahahah….oh, there’s a chart over there….you’re kidding me right?

Threw my right eye things used to look big and blurry, my left small and clear. I used to see perfectly fine. But my new glasses screwed them up. My right eye at school I will try to look at the board and even the biggest words I can’t see. And I sit in the front row. My left eye is still okay.

I used to be able to go right to the bottom. They called it 20/15. Now I can nail the next to last line. I am farsighted, however at 0.75 diopters (not much). My keyboard keeps moving further and further away from me every day. I’ve got another 6 inches to go before I either need longer arms or glasses.

I wouldn’t even be able to see the wall. I’m so nearsighted that I can’t even read a book held at normal distance, without my glasses. Even when orrected, my vision is only about 20/100.