Eyes are a tremendous blessing from God. Without them, our lives would feel incomplete. They are among our most precious assets; without them, we couldn't see the world. Through our eyes, we perceive colours, recognise shapes, and identify people. Our eyes bring joy when we see our loved ones and marvel at beautiful sceneries. We only truly value them when our vision becomes impaired or when we lose our sight entirely.

In medical terms '20/20 vision' means your eyesight is normal. It suggests that what you can see from 20 feet away, someone with normal vision can also see from the same distance. This ratio is also known as the Snellen ratio and helps determine the sharpness of one's vision. For instance, if someone's vision is 15/20, it means that what a person with normal vision can see from 20 feet away, they can only see from 15 feet away.

Most people might have slightly weaker vision, but 20/20 vision is considered the ideal. If someone has 20/15 vision, their eyesight is exceptionally sharp. This means that what a person with normal vision sees from 15 feet away, they can see even from 20 feet away.

Yes, I've not only worn glasses for eyesight but also experienced different prescription strengths over roughly 5 years. My story began in 2008, in the 8th grade, when I noticed blurred vision in my right eye. But since my left eye was fine, I didn't feel much different overall. After a while, however, I'd get a mild headache when trying to read the classroom board. When I shared this with my parents, they took me to a doctor. The doctor recommended an eyesight check-up.

Upon testing, it turned out I had -1.75D myopia in my right eye and -0.25D in the left. Myopia is a condition where distant objects appear blurry, while close ones are clear. Regardless, I was prescribed glasses, which felt quite odd at first. I was worried about being teased by friends, but over time I got used to them. However, even with the glasses, my headaches persisted, albeit less intensely.

Around 4 months later, despite wearing glasses, my vision blurred again, leading to another check-up. This time, my prescription had increased - though I don't recall the exact numbers. The doctor explained to my parents that I had Astigmatism. As my eye continued to grow, my prescription would change roughly every 6 months. Once my eye stabilised after turning 18, the condition could be corrected with laser surgery.

Being a science student, I am familiar with astigmatism as I had studied it during my M.Sc in Biochemistry. In simple terms, due to an abnormal cornea shape, light rays don't focus properly on the retina, making things look blurry. For those interested in a detailed explanation, I've shared a link to a video below.