These are abbreviations for the Latin terms oculus dexter and oculus sinister. or a superscript triangle when written freehand), prescribed to compensate for eye alignment problems. Cylinder (CYL) Cylinder indicates the amount of lens power needed for astigmatism. This doctor has elected to add "SPH," to confirm the right eye is being prescribed only spherical power. 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". On the other hand, in the farsightedness, the person can see those objects clearly which are far but near object seems blurry. Full Explanations: Sphere, Cylinder, and Axis Superlite titanium rimless collection The SuperLite Titanium rimless series is provided by super Warby Parker WARBY PARKER, one of the most popular eyewear brands in the United States, set up it What Are Progressive Lenses? If the number is positive (+), it is correcting farsightedness. Astigmatism correction is not spherical. 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 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. She also has an interest in Eastern medicine practices and learning about integrative medicine. In the context of an eye prescription, OD means right eye and OS means left eye. They may mention that you have either of the following: They probably gave you an eyeglasses prescription that looks something like this: These are all crucial pieces of information when getting your eyewear. On the other hand, if your SPH value is +1.00, you are farsighted and need correction for seeing closer objects. "How to Read Your Eyeglass Prescription. On the prescription of eyeglasses, the cylinder typically follows the sphere power. Through her writing, Dr. Huang enjoys educating patients on how to lead healthier and happier lives. This correction is often used for computer (VDU) operation. OD is your right eye. During an eye exam, your doctor will determine whether you need vision correction. These are needed to tell us how to shape the lens so that it can accurately align the wearers eyesight. What does an SPH of 1.00 in both eyes mean? - Quora This number is followed by the base direction, or thickest edge, of the prism. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. A minus (-) symbol next to this number means you're nearsighted, and a plus (+) symbol means the prescription is meant to correct farsightedness. The axis value is often preceded by an x when written in freehand. You have used an email and/or password that does not match our records. 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. They can also be written anywhere on the prescription. The axis is defined with a number from 1 to 180. Best way to buy glasses: Online or in person? The values concerning the correction your right eye may be indicated as "RE", "Right", "Right Eye" or "OD" which is an abbreviation for Oculus Dexter, the Latin term for "Right Eye". +4.50 -1.50 x90. The doctor wrote "SPH" in the Cylinder column. What does that mean. At first glance, the details may seem quite confusing. Please try again. The axis is the astigmatism orientation. Here at Spex4Less, you will find both of these options directly above the prescription form. But don't worry, after reading this page you'll understand what all the details mean and you'll know how to read your glasses prescription correctly. With eight years of experience in the world of content strategy and creation, Michael specializes in medical copywriting and advanced research methodologies. Remember, eyeglasses prescriptions are different than prescriptions for contact lenses. This number shows the angle of the lens that shouldnt feature a cylinder power to correct your astigmatism. Some eyeglass prescriptions may require a PD (pupillary distance) measurement. Whats more, if an eyeglass prescription includes cylinder power, it also must include an Axis value, which follows the CYL power. I agree to Olives, How to Know If You Need Glasses? The term "sphere" means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is "spherical," or equal in all meridians of the eye. Home>Tips & Guides>How to Read an Eyeglass Prescription. Base is the direction of a PRISM value and will only be supplied if the prescription has a PRISM value. How to read eye prescription? If nothing appears in this column, either you have no astigmatism, or your astigmatism is so slight that it is not really necessary to correct it with your eyeglass lenses. Vision Center is funded by our readers. Sometimes opticians use the word 'Add' or 'Near' instead of 'addition'. (Note that this is different than a contact lens prescription). Register so we can email you as soon as its becomes available! The CYL stands for Cylinder. . This is the most common format with clearly printed fields for OD, OS, SPH, CYL, etc. This shows how much focal point power, estimated in diopters (D), endorsed to address myopia or farsightedness. Get the latest updates on new products and upcoming sales, 2023 In the following picture, you can see an eye prescription. That way, your eyes are looking through the best point on each lens, some prescriptions may have the PD/Pupillary Distance listed for each eye respectively, for example RE: 32 LE: 32, you would enter 64mm from our list. 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. What do sph, cyl and axis mean on an eye test? - HealthTap The less common prism Rx refers to the amount of prismatic power needed to compensate for eye alignment issues (e.g., double vision or lazy eye). Quick Answer: What Does Ds Mean On My Eyeglass Prescription This format is less common in the US. A multifocal prescription will include an ADD value, sometimes marked as NV. The axis is labeled as a number from 1 to 180. Impact resistance and prescription compliance with AS/NZS 1337.6:2010. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. If the SPH value is 0.00, or noted by Plano, Pl, or an infinity sign, you do not have a vision distance problem. Standard msg & data rates may apply. Pupillary distance explained: how to measure PD. When the shape of the human eye cornea changes, the large changes in the measurement of the axis is seen though, this is rare. See, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. The ADD value is also referred to as a "Near Addition" or "Reading Addition". In the second part, we will explain what the Cylinder in glasses is. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel. BVD- Back Vertex Distance is the distance required from the front of your eye (cornea) to the back surface of the corrective lens. What does Axis mean for glasses? When you visit the opticians for an eye test you will receive a written copy of your prescription. This prescription is for the left eye, and -1.50 means that your nearsightedness is measured at 1 and 1/2 diopters. Designed in Singapore for diverse tastes (and noses). In this case, the eye doctor has prescribed -2.00 D sphere for the correction of myopia in the right eye (OD). This is only present if your eyes do not focus well together as a pair, such as in strabismus (eye turn). EyeBuyDirect has a wide variety of budget frames starting at $6. 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. When no correction for SPH is required the optician will write "Plano", "", "0.00" or just leave the space blank. Most reputable online suppliers like Spex4Less will offer a variety of forms for you to enter your prescription details in to. CYL (or Cylinder) indicates you have a condition where the cornea and/or lens of the eye are irregularly shaped causing blurred vision, in other words, astigmatism. You will notice there is no CYL or AXIS for the left eye, this means there is no astigmatism present. In the horizontal meridian of the eyes, the number 180 is used. Marketing cookies are used to offer personalized advertisements. To make a purchase on our Canadian site, you'll need to create a separate account. GlassesUSA has a huge selection of contacts, glasses, & sunglasses. In the third part, we will show you what the Axis in glasses is. These include: Sphere indicates the amount of lens power, measured in diopters(D), prescribed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. Drooping eyelids: The causes and treatment of ptosis, Hyphema: Facts about internal eye bleeding, Eye discharge: Sleep, or rheum in your eyes, How to get rid of a stye with treatment at home, Eye allergies: Itchy, red and watery eyes, Blepharitis: Causes, symptoms and treatment, Eye infections: Causes, symptoms and treatment, 7 eye stye facts: Causes, symptoms, treatment, Blue light: How its both bad and good for your eyes. SPH is one of the parameters to report your eye prescription. Cylinder means the amount of lens power for astigmatism and shows the differences between the greatest and weakest powers of the eye. What face shape best suits cat eye glasses? They may also enter an abbreviation "DS" (Dioptre Spheres). For more information, please see our. For more help finding your perfect pair of glasses, see our complete Size Guide. How can I stop my glasses from slipping down my nose? GogglesNMore All Rights Reserved. The 'addition' is only required if the glasses are going to be used for reading or close work. 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.). 844-249-8359 Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The SPH number on a glasses prescription is listed as a positive (+) or negative (-) number. What does SPH mean for glasses? Eyeglass prescriptions may have several components, including sphere, cylinder, and axis. How to choose the best lenses for your glasses, Photochromic lenses: Glasses that adjust to light, Special eyewear: Safety, driving and computer glasses, How to pick the right glasses for your face shape, Reading glasses: A buying guide for readers, Choosing glasses for your style and personality, Glasses size: A guide to eyeglasses frame size, Best places to buy eyeglasses/where to buy glasses, Why prescription sunglasses are a smart choice, How to prevent eye damage with UV sunglasses, Choosing the best sunglasses for your kids, The pros and cons of daily disposable contact lenses, Contact lens care: How to clean and store soft contacts, Understanding your contact lens prescription, Choosing the right coloured contact lenses, Contact lens tips: A user guide with expert advice. When you hold the prescription, have you ever been curious to know what the number and letters mean for your eyesight? Sphere, also known as degree or power, is the amount of single vision correction you need. How to enter your glasses prescription online. Unlike SPH measurement, CYL measurement will tell your eyeglass manufacturer how much curvature is needed on your lens to balance out the meridians of your eyes. Typically, youll see several abbreviations and words labeling all of the important data on your prescription. The axis is the orientation of the cylinder when looking at an eye. Add indicates the magnifying power applied to the bottom part of bifocal, multifocal, or progressive lenses used to correct presbyopia (age-related farsightedness). Your sph +4.00 means that the concave sphere with no astigmatism belongs to the hyperopia 400 prescription. If the number appearing under this heading has a minus sign (), you are nearsighted; if the number has a plus sign (+) or is not preceded by a plus sign or a minus sign, you are farsighted. Contact us, Mon. This is an important question because this is related to the eyes and gives answers related to different changes in the human eye. Thats where your new prescription from your optometrist or ophthalmologist comes in. However, many opticians will simply write the value somewhere under, or next to, the distance values. When reading your glasses prescription you will find values under the headings of SPH, CYL, AXIS and sometimes PRISM & BASE. ADD is always a positive number and ranges from +0.75 to +3.00 for most people. Those individuals having 1.5 or more diopters will definitely need to use eyeglasses in order to correct the vision. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. The lens power amount is, therefore, measured in D (diopters) for farsightedness or nearsightedness. Our entire range of womens prescription designer glasses. What Do the Abbreviations on My Glasses Prescription Mean? The number under the OD and OS measurement in your prescription is measured in diopters. What does "SPH" appearing under Cylinder on my prescription mean? Inter, Inter Add, Int Add, Int, Intermediate Addition - These all relate to your intermediate addition and are used to make glasses for intermediate distance use. OS -1.00 -0.50 x 180 +2.00 add 0.5 p.d. You can simply select the values that match your prescription. In nearsightedness, the person can see those objects clearly which are near to him but the far objects are blurry. The first thing to understand your eyeglass prescription is knowing what "OD" and OS" means. 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. If you have an astigmatism, you will also have a corresponding "AXIS" value (see below).When no astigmatism correction is required the optician will leave the box blank. When shes not working, Dr. Huang loves reviewing new skin care products, trying interesting food recipes, or hanging with her adopted cats. All About Vision and AllAboutVision.com are registered trademarks of AAV Media, LLC. You'll notice the CYL and AXIS values are the same for both distance and near. The cylinder is the indication of the condition, astigmatism, in which the cornea is shaped irregularly causing distorted or blurred vision. Different Prescriptions and How to Enter Your Values On Our Site. 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. If in doubt just enter your prescription as you see it, if youre not sure what type of lenses are suitable, hover your mouse over the question mark next to the lens type to reveal more detailed information about the product. What does Axis mean for glasses? Sphere is basically a measure of how strong your prescription needs to be. Add, Near Add, Reading Addition- These all relate to your reading addition and can be written anywhere on the prescription. It is the distance from the centre of one pupil to the centre of the other pupil measured in mm (ranges from 50 to 70mm). The Axis in your prescription is usually measured from 1 to 180. It will be a number between 1 and 180. Get news, offers and hand-drawn stickers by Mila, our co-founder Shing's daughter! By the end of this article, youll know exactly how to read your glasses prescription and what your prescription means. Cylinder: The cylinder (CYL) number indicates the . 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. 1-800 Contacts is our #1 recommendation to buy contacts online. OD and OS are abbreviations of the Latin words oculus dexter and oculus sinister, respectively. Essentially, OD means right eye, and OS means left eye. If your prescription indicates a CYL value, you must have a corresponding Axis value. This value is the amount to add on to the distance SPH values to ascertain what the full Near prescription should be. SPH, or sphere, refers to the amount of correction needed for nearsightedness or farsightedness. [+/-Cylinder].axis [some angle between 0 and 180 degrees]. These numbers typically are the same for both eyes and range from +0.75 to +3.00. A contact lens prescription can only be obtained from a contact lens consultation and fitting. The CYL basically represents the main differences in the weakest as well as greatest eye powers which are usually separated by degrees (90). If you promise not to get in a petty snit, and let me explain why, I'll tell you the answer to your question. The number 90 means the vertical meridian of the eye and the number 180 means the horizontal meridian. Your eyeglass prescription also may have a column labeled "OU." Older Post 5. Our online prescription form initially displays the most common format, Distance with a Near Add. Cyl = cylinder or the amount or power of the astigmatism correction. Privacy, Eye Testing and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). A minus sign () means it's correcting nearsighted astigmatism, while plus sign(+) means it's correcting farsighted astigmatism. How to Read Your Eyeglasses Prescription - All About Vision 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. SPH, or sphere, is the amount of lens power needed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness, whereas CYL, or cylinder, is the amount of lens power needed to correct astigmatism. The AXIS, in degrees, is a number between 0 and 180. This number always has a (+) sign. Axis - If an eyeglass prescription includes cylinder power, it also must include an axis value, which follows the CYL power. Eye doctors write prescriptions this way because when they come face to face with you, they see your right eye on their left (first) and your left eye on their right (second). Sphere: The sphere (SPH) on your prescription indicates the lens power you need to see clearly. Well break down your prescription step-by-step. You must be logged in to manage your wishlist. Only a small amount of prescriptions will require a PRISM. A number over 5 is generally considered to be on the stronger side. OS is an abbreviation of the Latin oculus sinister which means left eye. DS simply means no power is present in the CYL box so leave this as NONE or DS. ", Sunglasses, Spectacle Frames, Spectacle Lens and Magnifying Spectacles.. When we look at the eye prescription written by our consultant, different questions come to mind. Prism refers to the amount of prismatic power needed to correct eye alignment problems, measured in prism diopters. Add, Near Add, Reading Addition - These all relate to your reading addition and can be written anywhere on the prescription. Only one meridian will be adjusted to fix your astigmatism. It does not matter whether the correction is of farsightedness or nearsightedness; it is always in spherical form. What does SPH and CYL means on my eye checkup? : r/answers - reddit What If My Prescription Does Not Follow The Format on Your Website? Youll typically find the abbreviates OD and OS on the left side of your prescription. While you likely know whether youre nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism, determining that from your prescription slip is another thing entirely. In SPH, the plus sign is the indication of farsightedness (near objects are blurred). However, if you have a CYL value, you must have a corresponding Axis value. Our friendly customer service team are on hand to help Monday to Friday 9 am-5 pm and Saturdays 9 am-12 pm. The number 90 corresponds to the vertical meridian of the eye, and the number 180 corresponds to the horizontal meridian. Sphere means the spherical correction where the meridians of the human eye are equal. Spectacle-related eye injuries, spectacle-impact performance and eye protection. You can then go ahead and enter the prescription as follows: By clicking the link Need Help? It tells the optician how to orient the lens so that the cylinder has no power at the axis location. The "Near" row or "Near Addition" contains the information required to correct your near vision. There will also be a number in the axis column thats needed for astigmatism correction. The size is not dangerous or bad, but the number associated with it (ex: Size: small, medium, large, extra-large etc.) A + in the box indicates that you are long-sighted which means you find it difficult to see things close to you. The sphere portion is a Continue Reading 6 1 Sponsored by TruthFinder Have you ever googled yourself? An AXIS will only be found on your prescription if there is a CYL value for the same eye. Usually your lenses will be positioned around 10-12mm from your eyes, however this will vary from person to person. E.g. Colour blindness test: Do you see colours correctly? How to Read Your Eyeglass Prescription | Zenni Optical For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. For a full 12 months from dispatch date we will repair or replace any frames with a manufacturing fault. If you have an astigmatism, you will find a "+" or "-" value in this box. The information on this free-form prescription is usually handwritten. The "Distance" row contains the values required to correct your distance vision for the respective eye. This indicates the amount of lens power for astigmatism. Still dont know how to look for your perfect fit? A prescription for someone who is farsighted will feature a number with a plus (+) symbol in the sphere box. What is CYL, AXIS and SPH in eye prescription? - Lensmart Online Sphere, sometimes abbreviated as SPH, indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. The sphere power is the base power of a lens which is 360 degrees around the lens. The Axis means the angle between the two meridians of an astigmatic eye. The prism Rx will have two values: PRISM & BASE. Sphere (SPH) and Cylinder (CYL) always have a (+) or (-) sign. Keep your prescription up to date so these numbers can accurately reflect your visual needs. One FREE Frame with SV 1.56 index lenses are included ! If the number is negative (), it means it is correcting nearsightedness. Our entire range of prescription glasses for Men. But keep in mind, all eyewear is different, so its just a general reference. Spex4less and SPEX4LESS are registered trademarks of Fashion Specs Direct Limited. Free Gifts with Purchases Over $100 | Learn More. If the human eye acuity is 20/200, this is called the bad eye axis and is considered the blind person. Cylinder axes range from 0 to 180, and are based on a hemispheric protractor. The interesting fact is that if the prescription of eyeglass includes the main cylinder power, it is important to include the axis value along with it so that it follows the power of CYL. 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. What does SPH mean for glasses? How to Read Eye Prescription | OD vs. OS | Eyebuydirect It will be a number between 1 and 180. (See Different ways in which a prescription can be displayed below). 1. Please note you can also upload a copy of your prescription during checkout and our Optometrist will check it against what you have entered on your order and you will be notified if there are any discrepancies. These glasses are often worn full time. Eye Sphere, Cylinder and Axis - Snowy Range Vision Center What is Cylinder in glasses? Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. On the eye prescription, there are minus and plus signs in the cylinder column. The axis is always exactly 90 degrees away from the meridian, which contains all of the correcting lens power for astigmatism. Theplus (+) orminus (-) sign before SPH indicates whether you are nearsighted or farsighted. If you see a negative value (-) that means your child is nearsighted. Click here if your prescription looks different to this form. like in the example above, you can toggle the form to enable you to enter an inter add as below; Balance- No values are required. If you are farsighted, you will see a plus sign(+) next to the Sphere number. They are abbreviations foroculus dexterandoculus sinister, which are Latin terms for right eye and left eye. This is the amount of prismatic power, measured in prism diopters ("p.d." The number under cylinder provides the lens power needed to correct the astigmatism. Unlike typical Rx formats, with values going from left to right, the vertical Rx values are listed top to bottom. Did you get confused? Copyright 2022 VisionCenter.org. Youll often see this terms on eyeglass prescriptions. It is measured with the unit diopters (D), indicating the lens power of the glasses. If you have been provided with a BVD value ensure to enter it into the additional information or comments box provided with any online prescription forms. Do you know the meaning of the Sphere, Cylinder and Axis? Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. How computer glasses can ease digital eye strain, How screen time effects child development, Importance of eye care and regular eye exams, What to expect at a comprehensive eye exam, Paediatric eye exam: How they are different. If not, keep on your reading and you will find the full explanations in the following part. The Definitive Guide to Understanding your Prescription. SelectSpecs USA This measurement would be your ideal frame width that is the most necessary measurement. They may also enter an abbreviation "DS" (Dioptre Spheres) or "SPH" (Sphere) indicating that the correction required is spherical only. 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. The sphere is measured in Dioptres, your prescription may have the word Plano or Pl or an infinity sign, this means that you are neither long nor short sighted but zero power for the Sphere, however you may have astigmatism a CYL and AXIS on your prescription.