# Question about an eye problem, does it have a name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 13, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573 "2008-11-13T19:05:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jujuju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@jujuju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jujuju)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/1 "2008-11-13T19:05:17Z")
I just had my yearly physical, and leared my vision in my left eye is 20/15 while my vision in my left eye is 20/35. Now, the doctor says I do not need correction for this, but I wanted more information, as it does bother me, but I can’t find anything. It is not double vision, or lazy eye. It seems like it would have a name. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/2 "2008-11-13T19:45:05Z")
I’d say having 2 left eyes is indeed a very serious condition. ---
**Author:** ![jujuju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@jujuju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jujuju)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/3 "2008-11-13T19:53:27Z")
Sorry, my right eye is 20/35. I do still mix up my right and left. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/4 "2008-11-13T20:06:57Z")
IANAD/N (I am not a doctor/nurse), but I do work in ophthalmology. Without having your chart in front of me, my utter wild-ass guess is that it sounds like an extremely minor case of nearsightedness (aka [myopia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myopia)) in your right eye. The doctor should be able to tell you if this is indeed his judgement. 20/35 vision in one eye doesn’t require correction, typically, especially since your other eye is slightly better than average. This is not a medical diagnosis, etc., etc. If you’re really concerned, see an optometrist (OD) or ophthalmologist (MD) for a second opinion. An optometrist visit would be cheaper most likely, and would at least be able to tell if there’s anything to be worried about. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/5 "2008-11-13T20:08:39Z")
20/15 means that your left eye can see at 20 feet what a normal eye sees at 15 feet, or far-sighted. (attached chart says no prescription needed) 20/35 means your right eye can see at 20 feet what a normal eye sees at 35 feet, or near-sighted/myopic. (attached chart says prescription of -.5 or -.75 needed) [http://www.mdsupport.org/library/acuity.html](http://www.mdsupport.org/library/acuity.html) Your doc is probably saying no correction is needed because you’re so close to normal. ---
**Author:** ![jujuju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@jujuju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jujuju)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/6 "2008-11-13T20:46:00Z")
I just wish they were the same. I think it is causing headaches and other, well not pain all the time, but very, very uncomfortable. It is the difference in the two that bothers me. It is new, an so are my migraines, which are always on the right side, which is the side that bothers me. Thank you for the answers though. I will make an appointment. Too bad our medical election changes ended Monday. I’ve never had eye problems before, so I opted out of the insurance… ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/7 "2008-11-13T20:50:51Z")
If it did have a name, it would be something like anisorefraction of the eyes. We talk about anisochromia and anisocoria, for instance. Otherwise unilateral refractive error if you want to emphasize that one eye is normal. But I’ve never heard any formal term for the fact that one’s eyes have a disparate ability to refract. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/8 "2008-11-13T21:05:29Z")
From this cite [Comparative evaluation of teller and cardiff acuity tests in normals and unilateral amblyopes in under-two-year-olds Sharma P, Bairagi D, Sachdeva MM, Kaur K, Khokhar S, Saxena R - Indian J Ophthalmol](http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=2003;volume=51;issue=4;spage=341;epage=345;aulast=Sharma) of an abstract: “…30 cases of unilateral amblyopiogenic conditions, 10 cases each of\*\* unilateral refractive error\*\*, unilateral esotropia, and unilateral cataract…” And I don’t know if it’s causing your h/a but if I had that large of a difference, I would correct it for the crappy eye. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/9 "2008-11-13T22:18:46Z")
Side note: Was the right eye 20/32, instead of 20/35? I’m not familiar with how one could get 20/35 as a result, but I don’t know all of the methods of checking visual acuity and it’s possible one uses 20/35 as a rating. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/10 "2008-11-13T22:36:43Z")
It’s really not unusual for a person’s eyes to have slightly different corrections. They don’t have to match to be normal. ---
**Author:** ![cromulent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b4bc9f/32.png) [@cromulent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cromulent)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/11 "2008-11-23T23:55:50Z")
I know I’m a bit late to the party, but it’s called **anisometropia** , if the two eyes have different refractive states. If you’re talking about best corrected VA, meaning they stuck lenses in front of both eyes and 20/35 was the best you could do in your “bad” eye, then that could very well be amblyopia. But there’s no way to tell without knowing your refractive history. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/12 "2008-11-24T01:20:39Z")
> [@cromulent](#): > > I know I’m a bit late to the party, but it’s called **anisometropia** , if the two eyes have different refractive states. > If you’re talking about best corrected VA, meaning they stuck lenses in front of both eyes and 20/35 was the best you could do in your “bad” eye, then that could very well be amblyopia. But there’s no way to tell without knowing your refractive history. Thanks for posting. One more word to add to my list. Much appreciated. The OP seems to be asking what it’s called when one eye is normal and the other has a refractive error. This would seem to be a particular subset of anisometropia, for which there is no label, as far as I know… ---
**Author:** ![tiger325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/71c47a/32.png) [@tiger325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiger325)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/13 "2008-11-24T01:22:46Z")
I dont think its uncommon ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-eye-problem-does-it-have-a-name/472573/14 "2008-11-24T16:34:22Z")
cromulent: jujuju said it is not amblyopia gigi: 20/15 does not mean hyperopia, it just means excellent visual accuity for far objects As cromulent notes, we don’t know the cause of the dimished accuity in the 20/35 eye is. Myopia is just the most likely of several possible causes. jujuju: I agree with Chief Pedant, if it bothers you, and is correctable, get a pair of spectacles. It is up to you to say whether or not you need corrective lenses, not the doctor.