Your Prescription Explained

Your Prescription Explained: Understanding Your Eyeglass Prescription

If you’ve ever received an eyeglass prescription and felt overwhelmed by the numbers and abbreviations, you’re not alone. Understanding your prescription is key to ensuring you get the right glasses for your vision needs. This guide will break down the essential components of an eyeglass prescription and what they mean for you.

Key Components of Your Prescription

1. OD and OS

   • OD (Oculus Dexter) refers to your right eye.

   • OS (Oculus Sinister) refers to your left eye.

   • Occasionally, you may see OU (Oculus Uterque), which means both eyes.

2. Sphere (SPH)

   • This number indicates the lens power needed to correct your vision.

   • A negative (-) SPH value means you are nearsighted (myopic), meaning distant objects appear blurry.

   • A positive (+) SPH value means you are farsighted (hyperopic), meaning close objects appear blurry.

3. Cylinder (CYL) and Axis

   • If present, these values indicate astigmatism, an imperfection in the curvature of your eye.

   • CYL represents the amount of astigmatism correction needed.

   • Axis (measured in degrees from 1 to 180) denotes the orientation of the astigmatism correction.

4. Add (Addition Power)

   • Found in bifocal or progressive lenses, this value is for near-vision correction, often needed for reading.

   • It’s usually a positive number (+1.00 to +3.00) added to the distance prescription for near tasks.

5. Prism and Base

   • Used in prescriptions for individuals with eye alignment issues.

   • Prism correction helps reduce double vision by shifting the image slightly.

   • The base direction (Base In, Base Out, Base Up, or Base Down) indicates the prism’s orientation.

How to Use Your Prescription

Once you understand your prescription, you can confidently choose the right eyeglasses, whether through an optician or an online store. Make sure to double-check that your prescription details are correctly entered when ordering.

Final Thoughts

Your eyeglass prescription is more than just numbers—it’s a precise formula tailored to your unique vision needs. If you have any concerns or questions, consult your optometrist to ensure you’re getting the best corrective lenses for your eyesight.

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