Through her writing, Dr. Huang enjoys educating patients on how to lead healthier and happier lives. What Do The Values On Your Prescription Mean? However, many opticians will simply write the value somewhere under, or next to, the distance values. Essentially this means correction for Astigmatism is not required for the prescription being considered. The ADD value is also referred to as a "Near Addition" or "Reading Addition". Only a small percentage of eyeglass prescriptions include prism. On any prescription, PD can be written in different ways: e.g., 62 (Single PD), 33/31 (Dual PD), or 62/60 (Distance PD/Near PD). Terms of sale Conversely, if your prescription does not display a CYL value, you do not need an Axis value. What does 165 axis mean - One tool that can be used is What does 165 axis mean. You may find a number listed which helps determine the amount of lens power that is needed to correct astigmatism. Thats why weve put together a short guide to help you learn how to read a glasses prescription so you can get to ordering your new set of eyeglasses as quickly as possible. "How to Read Your Eyeglass Prescription. Add indicates the magnifying power applied to the bottom part of bifocal, multifocal, or progressive lenses used to correct presbyopia (age-related farsightedness). The AXIS is only present if there is a value in the CYL box, the AXIS tells us where the astigmatism is on your eye. A prescription for someone who is farsighted will feature a number with a plus (+) symbol in the sphere box. You can view our cookie policy here. Specific parts of Rx: To expand on dr. Proffitt's answer, sph = sphere; if this is a negative number, the prescription is a myopic or nearsighted prescription and a positive number dictates a farsighted or hyperopic prescription. In the right eye, the prism is base down (BD); in the left eye, it's base up (BU). Contact us, Mon. It is measured with the unit diopters (D), indicating the lens power of the glasses. It is used to correctly orientate the cylinder correction when making your glasses. In addition, most prescriptions willshow your pupillary distance (PD), the horizontal distance between your pupils. That is to say, the OD means the right eye and OS means the left eye. A glasses prescription can be displayed in a number of ways. Sphere means the spherical correction where the meridians of the human eye are equal. What Do the Abbreviations on My Glasses Prescription Mean? The cylinder is the amount of power change from the sphere in one meridian. What the values on your prescription mean. They may also enter an abbreviation "DS" (Dioptre Spheres) or "SPH" (Sphere) indicating that the correction required is spherical only. Cylinder power always follows Sphere power in an eyeglass prescription. This means that the eyeball is spherical and has no oblongedness, and consequently has no Cylinder or Axis values. 6. Yes, I would like to be notified by email about this product, and to receive emails from Olive with the latest deals, sales, and updates. You'll notice the CYL and AXIS values are the same for both distance and near. Similarly, the values concerning the correction of your left eye may be indicated as "LE", "Left", "Left Eye" or "OS" which is an abbreviation for Oculus Sinister, the Latin term for "Left Eye". For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. A minus (-) symbol next to this number means you're nearsighted, and a plus (+) symbol means the prescription is meant to correct farsightedness. This extra power will ALWAYS be the same for each eye and may only appear once on your prescription but it is understood to be meant for both eyes. The images below show some possible layouts of different prescriptions and how they would be entered on our website. CYL, or cylinder, refers to the amount of astigmatism correction you need. Some eyeglass prescriptions may require a PD (pupillary distance) measurement. The PD/Pupillary Distance is generally measured during a sight test, but is not routinely written on a prescription, you can ask for this from your Opticians, or ask them to add it to your prescription when you are tested. Cylinder axes range from 0 to 180, and are based on a hemispheric protractor. This value is the amount to add on to the distance SPH values to ascertain what the full Near prescription should be. Single vision lenses vs progressive lenses. It will be a number between 1 and 180. She also has an interest in Eastern medicine practices and learning about integrative medicine. CYL is the amount of astigmatism correction you need, and Axis determines the lens angle required to correct your astigmatism. Optometrists measure SPH values in increments of 0.25 diopters, and when people talk about their prescription degree, theyre usually talking about their sphere value. This correction is often used for driving, television and general wear (walking around). This is why you need to go to a local optician, not buy online. or a superscript triangle when written freehand), prescribed to compensate for eye alignment problems. These will usually be specific types of corrective lens recommendations such as multifocal lenses, progressives, anti-reflective coating, photochromatic, or transition lenses. It would be entered on our website as below: Our online prescription form initially displays the most common format, Distance with a Near Add. Like SPH and CYL, optometrists measure ADD in increments of 0.25 diopters. Register so we can email you as soon as its becomes available! If your prescription includes a BVD, it is important that the lenses sit at the correct distance to ensure comfortable vision. When you visit the opticians for an eye test you will receive a written copy of your prescription. Did you get confused? Cylinder means the amount of lens power for astigmatism and shows the differences between the greatest and weakest powers of the eye. When people talk about their eye degree or power, they are usually referring to their SPH value. How to Measure your PD(Pupillary Distance), Choosing the Best Frames for Progressives, How to Replace Lenses in a Full-Rim Frame, How to Replace Lenses in a Half-Rim Frame. All frame measurements can be found in the details tab on our product pages. In addition, you will see the initials OD and OS written on your eye prescription. The number 90 means the vertical meridian of the eye and the number 180 means the horizontal meridian. You may also have a column labeled OU, which means oculus uterque, or both eyes. In the third part, we will show you what the Axis in glasses is. ADD is always a positive number and ranges from +0.75 to +3.00 for most people. The term "sphere" refers to the fact that distance vision correction is spherical, or equal in all meridians of the eye. A positive value, or a prescription with a plus-sign (+), means that your child is farsighted. Liingo Eyewear is another great option to buy glasses online. SPH stands for spherical power and describes the degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness. COPYRIGHT document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); ZENNI OPTICAL , INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. It is not a condition, or disease. Nowadays, most of us wear glasses and most of us just take the prescription to the optical store to pick out a pair of glasses. Or, are the sphere & axis values so small they can be dropped off? Warby Parker has stylish, high-quality frames at affordable prices. Keep your prescription up to date so these numbers can accurately reflect your visual needs. If you are trying to reach us outside of these hours please email us at [emailprotected] and we will respond the next working day. 'Add' +2.50 - should be entered for both eyes). The "Near" row or "Near Addition" contains the information required to correct your near vision. No, you cannot use your eyeglass prescription to buy contact lenses or vice versa because eyeglass lenses sit about 12 to 15 mm away from your eyes, whereas contact lenses are directly on your eyes. We use cookies to personalize content, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. A number with a minus symbol before it means you are nearsighted, and a number with a plus symbol, or no symbol, means you are farsighted. Inter, refers to intermediate, this is the prescription required to correct intermediate vision, and may appear in full, or as an additional power (ADD) to the distance. Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. The ADD value is also referred to as a "Near Addition" or "Reading Addition". All Opticians and Doctors worldwide work to the same procedures when writing a prescription, which can be printed or written in a similar fashion to this sample prescription. On any prescription, PD can be written in different ways: e.g., 62 (Single PD), 33/31 (Dual PD), or 62/60 (Distance PD/Near PD). When shes not working, Dr. Huang loves reviewing new skin care products, trying interesting food recipes, or hanging with her adopted cats. Home>Tips & Guides>How to Read an Eyeglass Prescription. In the eye prescription, there are some important elements you need to know including Sphere, Cylinder, and Axis. This post will explain them one by one. The number 90 corresponds to the vertical meridian of the eye, and the number . The size is not dangerous or bad, but the number associated with it (ex: Size: small, medium, large, extra-large etc.) In AXIS, the lens meridian plays an important role. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. This ensures that they can see clearly in class; poor vision can seriously impact a childs learning. How to Measure Your PD with A Regular Ruler. A number between +/-.025 to +/-2.00 is considered mild, a number between +/-2.25 to +/- 5.00 is considered moderate, and a number greater than +/- 5.00 is considered severe. If the optometrist wrote "DS" or "Sph" or "Spherical" in the Cylinder space, it indicates no correction and should be entered as 0 on the order form. Let's use an example to understand things better. For more help finding your perfect pair of glasses, see our complete Size Guide. On the prescription of eyeglasses, the cylinder typically follows the sphere power. Add is the added magnifying power applied to the bottom part ofmultifocal lensesto correctpresbyopia. The prism Rx will have two values: PRISM & BASE. Melody Huang is an optometrist and freelance health writer. Different prescriptions and how to enter your values on our site. The term "sphere" means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is "spherical," or equal in all meridians of the eye. It's considered a mild amount of nearsightedness. Do a "deep search" instead. You should also find a row of values provided for "Distance" and for "Near". That means that you have no astigmatism to correct in that eye. Impact resistance and prescription compliance with AS/NZS 1337.6:2010. This number always has a (+) sign. The 'addition' is only required if the glasses are going to be used for reading or close work. 1-800 Contacts is our #1 recommendation to buy contacts online. If you have an astigmatism, you will find a "+" or "-" value in this box. For example, if the Add were +2.25 and the OD-Sph was -0.50, the new OD-Sph for reading glasses would be +1.75; if the Sph were +0.25, the new Sph would be +2.50. In nearsightedness, the person can see those objects clearly which are near to him but the far objects are blurry. Plano, Infinity, 0.00- Basically 0.00 or no correction is required for that part of the prescription. A + in the box indicates that you are long-sighted which means you find it difficult to see things close to you. In SPH, plus sign is an indication of which condition? If nothing appears in this column, either you have no astigmatism, or your astigmatism is so slight that it is not really necessary to . There are two vision conditions, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. The Zenni Optical website says I need that bit, but all it let's you input are positive or negative numbers, I can't write in SPH even if I knew what it mean. A contact lens prescription can only be obtained from a contact lens consultation and fitting. I promise not to get in a petty snit. Astigmatism is often present at birth, but it can develop, or become more severe, as you get older. A minus (-) symbol next to this number means you're nearsighted, and a plus (+) symbol means the prescription is meant to correct farsightedness. Add, Near Add, Reading Addition- These all relate to your reading addition and can be written anywhere on the prescription. Sphere (SPH) - The term "sphere" means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is spherical, equal in all meridians of the eye. You can simply select the values that match your prescription. In the following picture, you can see an eye prescription. To make a purchase on our Canadian site, you'll need to create a separate account. If you require progressive lenses, your prescription willdisplay a value under the ADD (addition) column. This shows how much focal point power, estimated in diopters (D), endorsed to address myopia or farsightedness. OD and OS are abbreviations of the Latin words oculus dexter and oculus sinister, respectively. What is pupillary distance (PD) and how do you measure it? Essentially, OD means right eye, and OS means left eye. This number shows the angle of the lens that shouldnt feature a cylinder power to correct your astigmatism. Most reputable online suppliers like Spex4Less will offer a variety of forms for you to enter your prescription details in to. If the glasses help to improve the vision, then the person is not legally blind. The Add, short for Reading Addition, is the additional correction required for reading, this can be used to make either reading glasses, bifocal glasses or Varifocal glasses. i'm considering online since I need 1.74 hi-index and that can run expensive even in online stores, and a lot of local shops around me only offer up to 1.67. why isn't online a good idea? Similar to SPH, optometrists measure CYL in increments of 0.25 diopters. Spectacle-related eye injuries, spectacle-impact performance and eye protection. Common abbreviations that appear on your prescription. Most of our prescription orders take about three days to complete. Page published on Thursday, 21 February, 2019. What If My Prescription Does Not Follow The Format on Your Website? BVD- Back Vertex Distance is the distance required from the front of your eye (cornea) to the back surface of the corrective lens. An astigmatism is where the eye is shaped slightly like a rugby ball or referred to as toric, not a perfect sphere like a football. Dist, refers to distance, this is the prescription required to correct distance vision. What does SPH mean for glasses? This is always "+" value in 0.25 steps. The axis indicates the angle (in degrees) between the two meridians of an astigmatic eye. This just means the eye has difficulty focusing at certain angles. The Zenni Optical website says I need that bit, but all it let's you input are positive or negative numbers, I can't write in SPH even if I knew what it mean. If you experience difficulty in obtaining this measurement we can record it, if necessary, from an existing pair of your glasses, to find out more click here. When no correction for SPH is required the optician will write "Plano", "", "0.00" or just leave the space blank. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. This number is followed by the base direction, or thickest edge, of the prism. Should I get a second opinion? And what about all those abbreviated terms, such as OD, OS, SPH and CYL? Tap on the prescription form to find out what all those number and abbreviations mean, By proceeding to the site or clicking Accept All Cookies, you consent to such use. You have used an email and/or password that does not match our records. The sphere (Sph) specifies the strength of lens required to correct your focus - a plus sphere to correct long-sightedness (hyperopic - difficulty focusing on close objects) and a minus to correct short sightedness (myopia - difficulty focusing on distant objects.). Plano, Infinity, 0.00, - Basically 0.00 or no correction is required for that part of the prescription. What is Cylinder in glasses? The Axis means the angle between the two meridians of an astigmatic eye. However, there are other parameters, such as CYL which means the astigmatism part and AX which means the axis position in the astigmatism. Generally, it will range from +0.75 to +3.00 D and will be the same power for both eyes. Our entire range of prescription glasses for Men. Typical SPH numbers range between 0.00 and +/- 20.00. Those individuals having 1.5 or more diopters will definitely need to use eyeglasses in order to correct the vision. How to read eye prescription? The measurement is Prism Dioptre. It will be a number between 1 and 180. On some rare occasions, you may find an AXIS value with a decimal place or fraction. The base value will show either in or out, or up and down, indicating the direction the prism should be angled. Remember, eyeglasses prescriptions are different than prescriptions for contact lenses. Sphere, often written as SPH, means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is spherical, equal in all meridians of the eye. What face shape best suits cat eye glasses? If the axis changes by more than 90, you need to consult an eye specialist. Our entire range of prescription glasses for Women. Swim Goggles Non-Rx: Giggly Goggles for Kids, All Swim Goggles Non-Rx: Giggly Goggles for Kids, Anti Blue Light Glasses / Blue Block Glasses, Replacement Parts & Accessories| Rec Specs, Prescription Ski Goggles Inserts and Ski Goggles, Partnerships with Ophthalmologists / Optometrists / Eye Health Professionals. These links allow you to toggle the form so that it appears the same as the hard copy of your prescription, some common examples are shown below. Unlike typical Rx formats, with values going from left to right, the vertical Rx values are listed top to bottom. What face shape best suits round glasses? It always follows the sphere power on an eyeglass prescription. But what exactly do all these abbreviations and numbers mean? The BVD stands for Back Vertex Distance, this is a measurement that is included on any prescription where the sphere or cylinder powers are higher than + or - 5.00D and to a lesser extent some prescriptions where it is less than this power. Add, Near Add, Reading Addition - These all relate to your reading addition and can be written anywhere on the prescription. Only a small amount of prescriptions will require a PRISM. This is a common question when the person who consults eye specialists encountered the eye prescription. If you have an astigmatism, indicated by an axis and cylinder number on your prescription, it means that the front of your eye is irregularly shaped. Sphere, sometimes abbreviated as SPH, indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. You qualify for free shipping in the US! Cylinder, abbreviated CYL, follows sphere power in your eyeglass prescription. You will also have a corresponding "AXIS" value (see below).When no astigmatism correction is required the optician will leave the box blank. Myopia control: How to slow your child's myopia, Childrens eye care problems at school-age, How the eye works: Refraction and refractive errors, Using eye drops: How to correctly apply them. If you are still unsure about entering your prescription details when ordering glasses online, make sure that you choose a supplier that offers an "Upload" or "Send Later" option. The axis is defined with a number from 1 to 180. The lens power amount is, therefore, measured in D (diopters) for farsightedness or nearsightedness. The Sphere is also used to correct the nearsightedness or farsightedness. In the context of an eye prescription, OD means right eye and OS means left eye. Press J to jump to the feed. When reading your glasses prescription you will find values under the headings of SPH, CYL, AXIS and sometimes ADD, PRISM & BASESPH (Sphere)SPH is a + or - value in 0.25 steps and is required to correct your nearsightedness (-) or farsightedness (+). A glasses prescription can be displayed in a number of ways. What is the difference between polarized and non-polarized lenses? What is CYL, AXIS and SPH? When the shape of the human eye cornea changes, the large changes in the measurement of the axis is seen though, this is rare.