In SPH, the minus sign is an indication of which condition? Some eye doctors have modernized this and replaced OD with RE (right eye) and OS with LE. The axis is defined with a number from 1 to 180. In addition, you will see the initials OD and OS written on your eye prescription. This post will explain them one by one. The size is not dangerous or bad, but the number associated with it (ex: Size: small, medium, large, extra-large etc.) The sphere is measured in Dioptre's, 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. Clicking 'I have TWO complete rows of figures on my prescription" will open up new option boxes for you to open your prescription. All frame measurements can be found in the details tab on our product pages. If you have an astigmatism, you will find a "+" or "-" value in this box. SPH, or sphere, refers to the amount of correction needed for nearsightedness or farsightedness. This number will appear as a decimal (0.5) or fraction (), followed by two letters indicating the base direction: There may be additional information written by your optometrist or ophthalmologist regarding your eye health. A number over 5 is generally considered to be on the stronger side. Social cookies allow you to utilize social media features. Typically, youll see several abbreviations and words labeling all of the important data on your prescription. Prism is used to correct eye alignment issues and can be a metric or fraction value. Your eye doctor also might write specific lens recommendations on your eyeglass prescription such as anti-reflective coating,photochromic lensesand/orprogressive lenses to give you the most comfortable vision correction possible. Do you know the meaning of the Sphere, Cylinder and Axis? There is no astigmatism correction for this eye, so no cylinder power or axis is noted. Eyeglass prescriptions may have several components, including sphere, cylinder, and axis. But keep in mind, all eyewear is different, so its just a general reference. I promise not to get in a petty snit. After reading this part, you may get the answer. The PRISM value will also be followed by a directional value (see BASE below). Keep your prescription up to date so these numbers can accurately reflect your visual needs. You may also have a column labeled OU, which means oculus uterque, or both eyes. If this column is blank, it means you have no astigmatism. Page published on Thursday, 21 February, 2019. The term "sphere" refers to the fact that distance vision correction is spherical, or equal in all meridians of the eye. Our entire range of mens glasses suitable for varifocal lenses. However, underneath the form, you will see a set of links under the heading "Click here of your prescription looks different to this form". We use cookies to give you a fantastic customer experience. 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. 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. 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". Sometimes opticians use the word 'Add' or 'Near' instead of 'addition'. You will also have a corresponding "AXIS" value (see below).When no astigmatism correction is required the optician will leave the box blank. For example: SPH -3.25 CYL -1.25 AXIS 120. The left eye (OS) is being prescribed -1.00 D sphere for myopia plus -0.50 D cylinder for the correction of astigmatism. With eight years of experience in the world of content strategy and creation, Michael specializes in medical copywriting and advanced research methodologies. Our entire range of mens prescription designer glasses. This box maybe empty or have a plus or a minus value in it. What is a contact lens eye exam and fitting? If not, keep on your reading and you will find the full explanations in the following part. The number marked axis describes the orientation of astigmatism. If there is no number written under the CYL part, this means you are free from astigmatism and need no eye contact. In its simplest form, a prescription for glasses will feature a table with two rows and three columns. Sphere, sometimes abbreviated as SPH, indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. 6. All rights reserved. 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. Cylinder: The cylinder (CYL) number indicates the lens power needed to correct astigmatism. It does not matter whether the correction is of farsightedness or nearsightedness; it is always in spherical form. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. What Do The Values On Your Prescription Mean? What Is The Difference Between A Retinal Tear And A Retinal Detachment? Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. It is measured with the unit diopters (D), indicating the lens power of the glasses. What is the difference between polarized and non-polarized lenses? 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. Sphere means the spherical correction where the meridians of the human eye are equal. If your prescription only shows the SPH box with a value, leave the CYL and AXIS blank. Your optician may or may not write DS (Dioptres Sphere) in the CYL box. Do you know the meaning of the Sphere, Cylinder and Axis? This number is followed by the base direction, or thickest edge, of the prism. GogglesNMore All Rights Reserved. Axis refers to an angle value between 0 and 180 that determines the angle of the cylinder correction for astigmatism. The measurement is the Dioptre. Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. Common abbreviations that appear on your prescription. By subscribing to Eyebuydirect text messaging on 81096, you agree to receive recurring autodialed marketing text msgs to the mobile number used at opt-in. Traditional eyeglasses are usually single vision lenses with one pre Metal frames are suitable for wearing. This indicates the required strength for the near prescription in your lens. Add indicates the magnifying power applied to the bottom part of bifocal, multifocal, or progressive lenses used to correct presbyopia (age-related farsightedness). 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. CYL (Cylinder)CYL is a + or - value in 0.25 steps and is required to correct your astigmatism. Sphere, often written as SPH, means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is spherical, equal in all meridians of the eye. Typical SPH numbers range between 0.00 and +/- 20.00. What does Axis mean for glasses? VA, Visual Acuities- These values describe your vision (visual acuity) but are not needed to make your glasses. The measurement is Prism Dioptre. Should I get a second opinion? +4.50 -1.50 x90. This is only present if your eyes do not focus well together as a pair, such as in strabismus (eye turn). 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. This means that a person can see the object clearly at 20 feet. What does SPH mean for glasses? Warby Parker has stylish, high-quality frames at affordable prices. Sphere: The sphere (SPH) on your prescription indicates the lens power you need to see clearly. (See Different ways in which a prescription can be displayed below). Astigmatism relates to an issue in the curvature of yourcorneathat causes blurred distance and near vision, especially at night. Free Gifts with Purchases Over $100 | Learn More. Commonly, this number will be different for each eye. Plano, Infinity, 0.00- Basically 0.00 or no correction is required for that part of the prescription. You've probably asked yourself many times, what does my glasses prescription mean? The number under the OD and OS measurement in your prescription is measured in diopters. Liingo Eyewear is another great option to buy glasses online. The number under 'cylinder' provides the lens power needed to correct the astigmatism. By Email or 0330 165 6900, Site Map SPH stands for spherical power and describes the degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness. The number marked 'axis' describes the orientation of astigmatism. Spex4less and SPEX4LESS are registered trademarks of Fashion Specs Direct Limited. If the SPH value is 0.00, or noted by Plano, Pl, or an infinity sign, you do not have a vision distance problem. CYL is the amount of astigmatism correction you need, and Axis determines the lens angle required to correct your astigmatism. Though the use of these abbreviated Latin terms is traditional for prescriptions written for eyeglasses, contact lensesand eye medicines, some doctors and clinics have opted to modernize their prescriptions and use RE (right eye) and LE (left eye) instead of OD and OS. A multifocal prescription will include an ADD value, sometimes marked as NV. It is usually separated by 90 degrees. The first thing to understand your eyeglass prescription is knowing what "OD" and OS" means. You can simply select the values that match your prescription. In astigmatism, the curvature of the eye is imperfect. Only a small percentage of eyeglass prescriptions include prism. 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. It does not matter whether the correction is of farsightedness or nearsightedness; it is always in spherical form. A prescription for correcting eye alignment issues will include a PRISM and BASE value. However, for complex prescriptions, such as when your SPH or CYL values fall beyond theaverage range, prescription orders can take up to9 days to complete because optical labs will need tomake custom-edgedlenses for you. 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. Checkout now! They can also be written anywhere on the prescription. This format is less common in the US. Melody Huang is an optometrist and freelance health writer. The 'addition' is only required if the glasses are going to be used for reading or close work. SPH is a + or - value in 0.25 steps and is required to correct your nearsightedness (-) or farsightedness (+). 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. 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. Cyl = cylinder or the amount or power of the astigmatism correction. 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. This figure is an indication of how much extra power is required on top of the distance prescription for near or intermediate glasses. You must be logged in to manage your wishlist. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Plano, Infinity, 0.00, - Basically 0.00 or no correction is required for that part of the prescription. On the eye prescription, CYL represents the cylinder correction part whether there is astigmatism or not. Kids' glasses and frames: A guide to fun children's eyewear. There will also be a number in the axis column thats needed for astigmatism correction. With our 14-Day Fit & Style Guarantee, you can request a refund or exchange a new pair, hassle-free! Some eyeglass prescriptions may require a PD (pupillary distance) measurement. ADD. The "Near" row or "Near Addition" contains the information required to correct your near vision. Sphere means the spherical correction where the meridians of the human eye are equal. If not, keep on your reading and you will find the full explanations in the following part. What is pupillary distance (PD) and how do you measure it? OOPS! 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. Home>Tips & Guides>How to Read an Eyeglass Prescription. The number under the add column tells us the 2nd lens prescription needed for multifocal lenses. 2023 Lensmartonline.com.All rights reserved, FREE SHIPPING FOR ORDER OVER $65 (REMOTE AREA NOT COVERED) / Buy 1,Get Other Frames 50% Off(Not eligible for frames under $10). The AXIS, in degrees, is a number between 0 and 180. But what exactly do all these abbreviations and numbers mean? Axis - If an eyeglass prescription includes cylinder power, it also must include an axis value, which follows the CYL power. It is measured with the unit diopters(D), indicating the lens power of the glasses. The two rows refer to your right (OD) and left (OS) eyeswith the right eye always on the upper row. Generally, it will range from +0.75 to +3.00 D and will be the same power for both eyes. 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. If you cant make sense of your eyeglass prescription, youre not alone. See, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. What does that mean. In AXIS, the lens meridian plays an important role. Now that you understand those mysterious letters and numbers, you know how to read a glasses prescription! Cylinder (CYL). If the glasses help to improve the vision, then the person is not legally blind. Add is the added magnifying power applied to the bottom part ofmultifocal lensesto correctpresbyopia. might be bigger than you would like! These are the abbreviations that denote to Oculus Dexter and oculus sinister in Latin and mean left eye and right eye. Sphere is basically a measure of how strong your prescription needs to be. What face shape best suits browline glasses? oBundle. If a prescription includes cylinder power, it must be followed by an axis. Add, Near Add, Reading Addition - These all relate to your reading addition and can be written anywhere on the prescription. The images below show the same prescription information in two different formats. Unlike typical Rx formats, with values going from left to right, the vertical Rx values are listed top to bottom. The axis is the orientation of the cylinder when looking at an eye. The sphere is the indication of how strong the lenses need to be in order to correct the vision. The number under 'cylinder' provides the lens power needed to correct the astigmatism. Your prescription may have a base column, or it may be included in the same column as prism this gives further information about the required prism correction, telling us the orientation needed in the lens. The axis indicates the angle (in degrees) between the two meridians of an astigmatic eye. 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. Terms of sale When you hold the prescription, have you ever been curious to know what the number and letters mean for your eyesight? Naturally, a prescription will contain values for the correction of both of your eyes. 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. In this case, the eye doctor has prescribed -2.00 D sphere for the correction of myopia in the right eye (OD). Loved by Customers -64,000+ Trustpilot Reviews! Contact us, Mon. The prism Rx will have two values: PRISM & BASE. 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. Impact resistance and prescription compliance with AS/NZS 1337.6:2010. When the person has no astigmatism, the perfect eye shows 0 diopters. For more help finding your perfect pair of glasses, see our complete Size Guide. The temple should be long enough to keep the frame securely in place without any pressure on your ears. Sphere (SPH) and Cylinder (CYL) always have a (+) or (-) sign. If you dont know whether you need a pair of glasses, the post How to Know If You Need Glasses? What is CYL in glasses? The higher the number on your prescription, the stronger your prescription is. You will notice there is no CYL or AXIS for the left eye, this means there is no astigmatism present. GlassesUSA has a huge selection of contacts, glasses, & sunglasses. Dist, refers to distance, this is the prescription required to correct distance vision. Sphere, sometimes abbreviated as SPH, indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. In eye prescription, what does CYL means? 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. Press J to jump to the feed. Spectacle-related eye injuries, spectacle-impact performance and eye protection. On the other hand, if your SPH value is +1.00, you are farsighted and need correction for seeing closer objects. In other words, because eyeglasses and contact lenses have different distances from your eyes, the amount of correctionneeded is also different. The cylinder is the amount of power change from the sphere in one meridian. It's considered a mild amount of nearsightedness. Notable terms include: Sphere (SPH) - The term "sphere" means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is spherical, equal in all meridians of the eye. The values range between 0 and 180 and may go up in steps of , 1, 5 or 10 degrees, we only show the AXIS to a whole number but if you have a degree on your prescription you can list this in the additional information box when ordering. A Prism is to try and correct a lazy eye and indicates a more delicate condition, this is included with a prescription to correct some special conditions or some eye disorders (like squints) that require the focussed image to move position. The numbers on your eyeglass prescription describe precisely how your glasses lenses should be cut. The axis depicts the angle between two meridians. Click here if your prescription looks different to this form. as shown in the image below. What face shape best suits round glasses? Most of our prescription orders take about three days to complete. What does SPH DS mean? Copyright 2022 VisionCenter.org. 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. Here at Spex4Less, you will find both of these options directly above the prescription form. You may find a number listed which helps determine the amount of lens power that is needed to correct astigmatism. So what's an astigmatism? OS -1.00 -0.50 x 180 +2.00 add 0.5 p.d. Your prescription will usually contain the following: Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will perform an eye examination to determine these values. They may also enter an abbreviation "DS" (Dioptre Spheres) or "SPH" (Sphere) indicating that the correction required is spherical only. This means that a person can see the object clearly at 20 feet. If you see a negative value (-) that means your child is nearsighted. Is 20/20 or 6 by 6 vision perfect eyesight? If you see the "sph" in the "cyl" box . BO=Base Out, BI=Base In, BU=Base Up, and BD (or BDn)=Base Down. We aim to deliver within 1-7 days and we will always attempt to notify you of any delays. How to read eye prescription? The "ADD" value may be written in the "Near Addition" space on your prescription. In some cases, the optician may write what appears to be a slash above the figure to indicate a "-" value.When no correction for SPH is required the optician will write "Plano", "", "0.00" or just leave the space blank. This shows how much focal point power, estimated in diopters (D), endorsed to address myopia or farsightedness.