This article will help you read and understand your eyeglass prescription so you can discuss it with an optician when you buy new eyeglasses. Prescription abbreviations Understanding eyeglass prescription terms. Why is it so important? Your eye doctor also might write specific lens recommendations on your eyeglass prescription — such as anti-reflective coating, photochromic lenses and/or progressive lenses — to give you the most comfortable vision correction possible. The term SPH means the correction for our sight is spherical. If you are -4.25, that means you have 4 and 1/4 diopters of nearsightedness. Only a small percentage of eyeglass prescriptions include prism. Reading glasses: prescription numbers explained. When you look at your prescription for eyeglasses, you will see numbers listed under the headings of OS and OD. 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). In our example above, the first number to the right of OD is -2.00. It is not enough to specify how much astigmatism there is; you have to know where the difference in curvature is taking place. The next number in the sample eyeglass prescription is -0… Sphere power, cylinder power and add power always appear in diopters. BD, OS -1.00 -0.50 x 180 +2.00 add 0.5 p.d. A -10.00 prescription tends to be very thick, especially around the edges of the lenses, while a +10.00 prescription will be very thick and bubbled in the middle of the lens. Additional Information. Gary Heiting, OD, is a former senior editor of AllAboutVision.com. Keep your prescription up to date so these numbers can accurately reflect your visual needs. At the end of the page are examples of unusual cases you may encounter, with instructions for what to do. Eccleston 01257 450 050 Parbold 01257 464 312 Standish 01257 424 300. Why You Should Rethink That Drink Before Dinner, New Clues Why Mosquitoes Find You Irresistible, Popular Heartburn Meds Can Have Health Risks, Your Eyewear Guide for Vision, Sport, and Fashion. To know how to read glasses prescriptions, here’s the meaning behind each of these symbols and numbers. SPH stands for Sphere which indicates the lens power, prescribed for correcting nearsightedness (-) and farsightedness (+). When learning how to interpret your prescription, keep in mind that usually the further from zero the numbers are, the more correction you need. The numbers on your eyeglass prescription describe precisely how your glasses lenses should be cut. Get the facts you need to get the most out of your shampoo and conditioner. R and L stand for right and left and indicate which eye is being talked about in the prescription. The first four parameters have to do with your visual correction. The term "cylinder" means that this lens power added to correct astigmatism is not spherical, but instead is shaped so one meridian has no added curvature, and the meridian perpendicular to this "no added power" meridian contains the maximum power and lens curvature to correct astigmatism. They are in decimal form and generally are written in quarter-diopter (0.25 D) increments. The prescription is usually a piece of paper or plastic that contains your … In addition to the information in an eyeglass prescription, a contact lens prescription must specify the base (central) curve of the back surface of the contact lens, the lens diameter, and the specific manufacturer and brand name of the lens. ©2005-2019 WebMD LLC. What does Sph mean? Meridians of the eye are determined by superimposing a protractor scale on the eye's front surface. Add. See additional information. In this article, you will learn how to read your glasses prescription. Also, the power of an eyeglass prescription frequently is modified when determining the best contact lens power. If you're not brushing and flossing regularly, you are at risk for gum disease and potential health problems. Glasses Prescription Explained You've been to the optician, had your eyes tested and have the prescription in your hand. A – shows that you find it hard to see things that are far away without glasses. The second prescription means that the person has 3.5 diopters of farsightedness, 3 diopters of astigmatism and an axis of 45 degrees. Our pill identification tool will display pictures that you can compare to your pill. The higher the prescription, the greater the curve of … A positive sign (+) indicates a positive-powered lens used to correct farsightedness. On your prescription, you’ll … how to read your contact lens prescription? or a superscript triangle when written freehand), prescribed to compensate for eye alignment problems. What's That Rash? These numbers represent diopters, the unit used to measure the correction, or focusing power, of the lens your eye requires. For this reason, reading glasses offer a practical solution for people who spend a lot of time concentrating on close-up material. The 90-degree meridian is the vertical meridian of the eye, and the 180-degree meridian is the horizontal meridian. We’ve got the dirty truth on how and when to wash your hands. Your Eye Prescription Explained. The higher the prescription, the greater the curve of … See what your medical symptoms could mean, and learn about possible conditions. A spectacle prescription is for the purchase of spectacles only. Eye doctors write prescriptions this way because when they face you, they see your right eye on their left (first) and your left eye on their right … Get the truth on the causes and cures for your stinky breath. (Some doctors will add "DS" for "diopters sphere;" others will leave this area blank.). It's all about correcting the issue. What’s the difference between an HSA and FSA? It is the curvature of the lens, and corresponding thickness of the lens which amplifies the vision to achieve the desired effect. If you’ve been given a prescription for glasses, you may be a little confused about what all the numbers mean. Your glasses prescription includes a number for every aspect of your vision that needs correction. This is a standard NHSprescription: It would be written as follows: Axis. Buying Glasses Online: Is It Right for You? Let's use an example to clear things up. Search by name or medical condition. If the number appearing under this heading has a minus sign (–), you are nearsighted; if it has a plus sign (+), you are farsighted. It reveals the orientation of the astigmatism. Fight allergies with daily forecasts, local alerts, and personalized tips. The correction for the astigmatism will not change, so the cylinder and axis will remain … This rule requires eye doctors to give patients a copy of their eyeglass prescription at the end of an eye exam that includes a refraction. The higher the number, the stronger the prescription lenses required. Therapist Steven Sultanoff explains the utility of humor in counseling, and Jeffrey Briar leads a session of Laughter Yoga on Laguna Beach. Prescription glasses FAQs Your eyes are a complex and sensitive part of your body so it’s no wonder you might have lots of questions related to your prescription glasses. The more nearsighted (or farsighted) you are, the higher your prescription in diopters. The facts you need to normalize your vision - they 're the right eye is being prescribed spherical. 'Re an extension of your eye prescription will be the same power for astigmatism,,! Discussed above this article will help you read an eye exam, and treatments in 1980, the stronger prescription... 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