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. It is measured with the unit diopters (D), indicating the lens power of the glasses. 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 (+). Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. How to enter your glasses prescription online. 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. In the eye prescription, there are some important elements you need to know including Sphere, Cylinder, and Axis. . This number is always positive, even if it doesnt have a plus sign (+) in front of it. After reading this part, you may get the answer. Kids' glasses and frames: A guide to fun children's eyewear. Thats where your new prescription from your optometrist or ophthalmologist comes in. When you hold the prescription, have you ever been curious to know what the number and letters mean for your eyesight? SPH, or sphere, refers to the amount of correction needed for nearsightedness or farsightedness. The optical centre of each lens should be placed directly in front of the centre of each of your pupils. When the shape of the human eye cornea changes, the large changes in the measurement of the axis is seen though, this is rare. In SPH, the minus sign is the indication of nearsightedness (far away objects are blurred). You should also find a row of values provided for "Distance" and for "Near". Cylinder power is always written after sphere power in an eyeglass prescription. Sphere, also known as degree or power, is the amount of single vision correction you need. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Here at Spex4Less, you will find both of these options directly above the prescription form. 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. If the number is negative (), it means it is correcting nearsightedness. What does SPH mean for glasses? VA, Visual Acuities - These values describe your vision (visual acuity) but are not needed to make your glasses. Free Express Shipping and 30-Day Returns Worldwide. This indicates the amount of lens power, measured in diopters (D), prescribed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. Usually your lenses will be positioned around 10-12mm from your eyes, however this will vary from person to person. It indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct astigmatism, measured in diopters. Only a small percentage of eyeglass prescriptions include prism. When reading your glasses prescription you will find values under the headings of SPH, CYL, AXIS and sometimes PRISM & BASE. In the context of an eye prescription, OD means right eye and OS means left eye. You will also have a corresponding "AXIS" value (see below).When no astigmatism correction is required the optician will leave the box blank. Add, Near Add, Reading Addition - These all relate to your reading addition and can be written anywhere on the prescription. What does VD mean on eye prescription? If you choose not to accept certain cookies, some interactive features of our websites may not work. Prism is used to correct eye alignment issues and can be a metric or fraction value. A minus (-) symbol next to this number means youre nearsighted, and a plus (+) symbol means the prescription is meant to correct farsightedness. All transactions are secured with the latest SSL technology, verified by Amazon. Sometimes they need to be adjusted by professionals. All About Vision and AllAboutVision.com are registered trademarks of AAV Media, LLC. The value may be as high as 10 and may go up in steps of or 1 Prism Dioptres. The Sphere is also used to correct the nearsightedness or farsightedness. CYL (Cylinder)CYL is a + or - value in 0.25 steps and is required to correct your astigmatism. 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? The "ADD" value may be written in the "Near Addition" space on your prescription. Please try again. Theplus (+) orminus (-) sign before SPH indicates whether you are nearsighted or farsighted. The cylinder is the indication of the condition, astigmatism, in which the cornea is shaped irregularly causing distorted or blurred vision. It is measured with the unit diopters(D), indicating the lens power of the glasses. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel. Our entire range of womens glasses suitable for varifocal lenses. Like SPH and CYL, optometrists measure ADD in increments of 0.25 diopters. 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. It will be a number between 1 and 180. (Some doctors will add "DS" for "diopters sphere;" others will leave this area blank.). Or, are the sphere & axis values so small they can be dropped off? These will usually be specific types of corrective lens recommendations such as multifocal lenses, progressives, anti-reflective coating, photochromatic, or transition lenses. 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. Should I get a second opinion? You're currently shopping our United States site. 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. This just means the eye has difficulty focusing at certain angles. One FREE Frame with SV 1.56 index lenses are included ! What does Axis mean for glasses? 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". Add indicates the magnifying power applied to the bottom part of bifocal, multifocal, or progressive lenses used to correct presbyopia (age-related farsightedness). A + in the box indicates that you are long-sighted which means you find it difficult to see things close to you. Sphere: The sphere (SPH) on your prescription indicates the lens power you need to see clearly. For more help finding your perfect pair of glasses, see our complete Size Guide. Essentially this means correction for Astigmatism is not required for the prescription being considered. This number is followed by the base direction, or thickest edge, of the prism. 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. Sometimes opticians use the word 'Add' or 'Near' instead of 'addition'. This stops light from focusing properly on your retina and makes your vision blurry. Cylinder power always follows Sphere power in an eyeglass prescription. If your prescription only shows the SPH box with a value, leave the CYL and AXIS blank. 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. What does that mean. What are the different types of contact lenses? That is to say, the OD means the right eye and OS means the left eye. 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. When no correction for SPH is required the optician will write "Plano", "", "0.00" or just leave the space blank. 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. Prism powers will always be accompanied with a direction which is usually seen as a base diresction such as IN, OUT, UP and DOWN; for example; Prism 2.00 Base IN. If you have an astigmatism, you will have a number in the cylinder column of your prescription that indicates the lens power needed to correct the astigmatism. Axis is the direction in which the astigmatism . What is CYL, AXIS and SPH? The numbers on your eyeglass prescription describe precisely how your glasses lenses should be cut. The bridge width will make sure your eyewear rest comfortably on the bridge of your nose, measuring the distance from the innermost point on each lens. Michael is the content strategist and a lead content writer for Vision Center. The axis is labeled as a number from 1 to 180. The numbers are from 1 to 180 in the axis part of the eye prescription. This ensures that they can see clearly in class; poor vision can seriously impact a childs learning. The Axis in your prescription is usually measured from 1 to 180. Most values range from +/- 0.25 to +/- 4.00 and will go up in steps of 0.25. You should have a number under the CYL column too. ", Sunglasses, Spectacle Frames, Spectacle Lens and Magnifying Spectacles.. In addition, you will see the initials OD and OS written on your eye prescription. Sphere (SPH) and Cylinder (CYL) always have a (+) or (-) sign. 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. There is no astigmatism correction for this eye, so no cylinder power or axis is noted. 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.). This is an important question because this is related to the eyes and gives answers related to different changes in the human eye. 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. 'Add' +2.50 - should be entered for both eyes). 10 Signs You Need Glasses may be helpful. Astigmatism relates to an issue in the curvature of yourcorneathat causes blurred distance and near vision, especially at night. In the following picture, you can see an eye prescription. Below is a standard NHS prescription that has been written as two full lines of prescription: You can edit the form by clicking the link Need Help? OS -1.00 -0.50 x 180 +2.00 add 0.5 p.d. Colour blindness test: Do you see colours correctly? ADD is always a positive number and ranges from +0.75 to +3.00 for most people. : r/glasses. The second prescription shows the patients complete distance prescription for the right and left eye followed by a reading addition value of +2.25. The three columns (from left to right) refer to Sphere (SPH), Cylinder (CYL) and Axis. This correction is often used for driving, television and general wear (walking around). A number over 5 is generally considered to be on the stronger side. A survey of the criteria for prescribing in cases of borderline refractive errors. Find an eyewear shop nearby or online to pick your lenses and frames. DS (Dioptres Sphere) means you only have a Sphere power. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement. In addition, most prescriptions willshow your pupillary distance (PD), the horizontal distance between your pupils. If the axis changes by more than 90, you need to consult an eye specialist. For example: (+2.00) + (+2.25) = (+4.25). Contact us, Mon. 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. Different Prescriptions and How to Enter Your Values On Our Site. How to Measure Your PD with A Regular Ruler. See below to learn the meaning of SPH, CYL Axis, Prism, PD, and more. You've probably asked yourself many times, what does my glasses prescription mean? 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. On your eyeglasses prescription, the information for your right eye (OD) comes before the information for your left eye (OS). 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. Cylinder is the indication of the lens power amount that is basically needed for the eyes disease named astigmatism (blurred vision). Terms of sale If you see the "sph" in the "cyl" box . By Email or 0330 165 6900, Site Map It's considered a mild amount of nearsightedness. 1-800 Contacts is our #1 recommendation to buy contacts online. If nothing appears in your CYL column, you do not require astigmatism correction. When no correction for SPH is required the optician will write "Plano", "", "0.00" or just leave the space blank. The sphere is the indication of how strong the lenses need to be in order to correct the vision. Consequently, 24 shown by the red line on the Continue Reading 10 Sponsored by Forbes Advisor Your eyeglass prescription also may have a column labeled "OU." Our entire range of mens prescription designer glasses. In nearsightedness, the person can see those objects clearly which are near to him but the far objects are blurry. You may also have an INTER ADD value used for arms-length distance tasks such as computers or reading music. 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. Designed in Singapore for diverse tastes (and noses). What is CYL in glasses? Cylinder means the amount of lens power for astigmatism and shows the differences between the greatest and weakest powers of the eye. What If My Prescription Does Not Follow The Format on Your Website? What does "SPH" appearing under Cylinder on my prescription mean? There are occasions where your optician will write out your complete "Distance" prescription followed by your complete "Near" prescription. Click here if your prescription looks different to this form. as shown in the image below. Essentially, OD means right eye, and OS means left eye. The AXIS, in degrees, is a number between 0 and 180. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. However, there are other parameters, such as CYL which means the astigmatism part and AX which means the axis position in the astigmatism. It is not a condition, or disease. And what about all those abbreviated terms, such as OD, OS, SPH and CYL? This is only present if your eyes do not focus well together as a pair, such as in strabismus (eye turn). If a prescription includes cylinder power, it must be followed by an axis. When you enter your prescription during checkout, please select "Not Applicable" for all Cylinder and Axis fields, thank you. Optometrists measure SPH values in increments of 0.25 diopters, and when people talk about their prescription degree, they're usually talking about their sphere value. The 20/20 vision is the correct vision for normal eyes. 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. COPYRIGHT document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); ZENNI OPTICAL , INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The Sphere is also used to correct the nearsightedness or farsightedness. They can also be written anywhere on the prescription. To make a purchase on our Canadian site, you'll need to create a separate account. The term "sphere" refers to the fact that distance vision correction is spherical, or equal in all meridians of the eye. A glasses prescription can be displayed in a number of ways. At first glance, the details may seem quite confusing. Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. If youre looking for eyeglasses that can bend without breaking, look great and enhance your vision all at o My manafest refraction test was -50 -50 110 + 250, But my rx reads -50 sph axis +250. While you likely know whether youre nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism, determining that from your prescription slip is another thing entirely. For more information, please see our. In the third part, we will show you what the Axis in glasses is. If your prescription indicates a CYL value, you must have a corresponding Axis value. In the vertical meridian of the eyes, the number 90 is used. They may also enter an abbreviation "DS" (Dioptre Spheres). However, if you have a CYL value, you must have a corresponding Axis value. You may also have a column labeled OU, which means oculus uterque, or both eyes. If nothing appears in the Cylinder column, it indicates that you have no astigmatism, or your astigmatism is so light that there is no need to correct it with the eyeglass lenses. 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. A nearsighted prescription will feature a number with a minus (-) symbol in the sphere box. The number 90 corresponds to the vertical meridian of the eye, and the number . [+/-Cylinder].axis [some angle between 0 and 180 degrees]. Conversely, if your prescription does not display a CYL value, you do not need an Axis value. If you are nearsighted, you will see there is a minus sign(-) next to the Sphere number. It is used to correctly orientate the cylinder correction when making your glasses. Our entire range of mens sunglasses from only 19.97, Our entire range of womens sunglasses from only 19.97. You can view our cookie policy here. Sphere means the spherical correction where the meridians of the human eye are equal. Sphere, sometimes abbreviated as SPH, indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. I promise not to get in a petty snit. This shows how much focal point power, estimated in diopters (D), endorsed to address myopia or farsightedness. Learn about LASIK success rates and side effects, Learn about the costs associated with LASIK, Benefits of LASIK for astigmatism correction, How to find vision insurance that covers LASIK, Compare PRK and LASIK procedures and results, 14 tips for protecting your vision after LASIK. If not, keep on your reading and you will find the full explanations in the following part. The higher the number on your prescription, the stronger your prescription is. The measurement is in Degrees. On the other hand, in the farsightedness, the person can see those objects clearly which are far but near object seems blurry. Youll typically find the abbreviates OD and OS on the left side of your prescription. What does sphere cylinder and axis mean? The term "sphere" means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is "spherical," or equal in all meridians of the eye. If you require spectacles for intermediate use include the INTER ADD in the ADD box when ordering and also advise us in the additional info box that you require these for intermediate use. Home>Tips & Guides>How to Read an Eyeglass Prescription. 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. The PRISM value will also be followed by a directional value (see BASE below). Sphere (SPH) - The term "sphere" means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is spherical, equal in all meridians of the eye. If you cant make sense of your eyeglass prescription, youre not alone. You'll notice the CYL and AXIS values are the same for both distance and near. VA, Visual Acuities- These values describe your vision (visual acuity) but are not needed to make your glasses. If you suffer from astigmatism, your prescription will indicate values for CYL and Axis. These are the abbreviations that denote to Oculus Dexter and oculus sinister in Latin and mean left eye and right eye. Is 20/20 or 6 by 6 vision perfect eyesight? 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. Cylinder, abbreviated CYL, follows sphere power in your eyeglass prescription. On the off chance that the number showing up under this heading has a short sign . Balance - No values are required. to Fri (9am - 5pm) Warby Parker has stylish, high-quality frames at affordable prices. SPH stands for spherical power and describes the degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness. 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. She also has an interest in Eastern medicine practices and learning about integrative medicine. Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. | You can simply select the values that match your prescription. The 20/20 vision is the correct vision for normal eyes. It will be a number between 1 and 180. You qualify for free shipping in the US! On any prescription, PD can be written in different ways: e.g., 62 (Single PD), 33/31 (Dual PD), or 62/60 (Distance PD . Liingo Eyewear is another great option to buy glasses online. The information on this free-form prescription is usually handwritten. Vision Center is funded by our readers. GlassesUSA has a huge selection of contacts, glasses, & sunglasses. ADD, or addition, refers to the amount of magnifying power you would need in multifocal lenses to see closer objects, like a book. 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. 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. If the human eye acuity is 20/200, this is called the bad eye axis and is considered the blind person. The number marked axis describes the orientation of astigmatism. However, underneath the form, you will see a set of links under the heading "Click here of your prescription looks different to this form". Different prescriptions and how to enter your values on our site. This measurement is important as it explains at what distance your lenses should sit from your eyes. "How to Read Your Eyeglass Prescription. The number appearing in this section of the prescription is always a "plus" power, even if it is not preceded by a plus sign. Your eyeglass prescription contains other terms and abbreviations as well. In astigmatism, the curvature of the eye is imperfect. Your prescription will usually contain the following: Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will perform an eye examination to determine these values. There are two vision conditions, nearsightedness, and farsightedness.