What does VD mean on eye prescription? ADD, or addition, refers to the amount of magnifying power you would need in multifocal lenses to see closer objects, like a book. The "ADD" value applies to both eyes and can sometimes be written only once on the prescription, even though the addition is required for both eyes. The size is not dangerous or bad, but the number associated with it (ex: Size: small, medium, large, extra-large etc.) 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". Sphere, often written as SPH, means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is spherical, equal in all meridians of the eye. This means that a person can see the object clearly at 20 feet. Sitemap | All Prices are in USD, Exclusive Development Partner If for any reason you are not satisfied with your order, we will replace or exchange your glasses/lenses. Checkout now! It's considered a mild amount of nearsightedness. What face shape best suits round glasses? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The CYL basically represents the main differences in the weakest as well as greatest eye powers which are usually separated by degrees (90). SPH Meaning: What Is It? Here's How To Make Sense of Your Eyeglass When you visit the opticians for an eye test you will receive a written copy of 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. Full Explanations: Sphere, Cylinder, and Axis in Glasses We can offer up to 3.00 Dioptre's of prism online however if yours exceed this or if you have more than one direction for each eye please contact us to confirm suitablility and availability. The minus sign and the plus sign next to the Cylinder numbers are also for nearsightedness and farsightedness. A cylinder forms a focus 90 degrees to its axis. Plano, Infinity, 0.00, - Basically 0.00 or no correction is required for that part of the prescription. This doctor has elected to add "SPH," to confirm the right eye is being prescribed only spherical power. In nearsightedness, the person can see those objects clearly which are near to him but the far objects are blurry. The doctor wrote "SPH" in the Cylinder column. What does that mean. The optical centre of each lens should be placed directly in front of the centre of each of your pupils. This number is followed by the base direction, or thickest edge, of the prism. The axis is always exactly 90 degrees away from the meridian, which contains all of the correcting lens power for astigmatism. Alternatively, you may have a row for "Distance" and a space provided for a "Near Addition" or "Reading Addition". If you cant make sense of your eyeglass prescription, youre not alone. The Zenni Optical website says I need that bit, but all it let's you input are positive or negative numbers, I can't write in SPH even if I knew what it mean. "How to Read Your Eyeglass Prescription. If your prescription indicates a CYL value, you must have a corresponding Axis value. What does 1.50 mean on glasses? It would be entered on our website as below: Our online prescription form initially displays the most common format, Distance with a Near Add. This article will help you decipher all parts of your prescription and discuss it knowledgeably with an optician or when you buy eyeglasses online. OD is your right eye. There will also be a number in the axis column thats needed for astigmatism correction. I promise not to get in a petty snit. The Sphere is also used to correct the nearsightedness or farsightedness. How to Measure your PD(Pupillary Distance), Choosing the Best Frames for Progressives, How to Replace Lenses in a Full-Rim Frame, How to Replace Lenses in a Half-Rim Frame. 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 the person has no astigmatism, the perfect eye shows 0 diopters. An AXIS will only be found on your prescription if there is a CYL value for the same eye. In addition, you will see the initials OD and OS written on your eye prescription. This is an important question because this is related to the eyes and gives answers related to different changes in the human eye. Our entire range of prescription glasses for Men. All Rights Reserved. When you hold the prescription, have you ever been curious to know what the number and letters mean for your eyesight? Keep your prescription up to date so these numbers can accurately reflect your visual needs. In the context of an eye prescription, OD means right eye and OS means left eye. Common Abbreviations That Appear on Your Prescription. In this case, the eye doctor has prescribed -2.00 D sphere for the correction of myopia in the right eye (OD). Add, Near Add, Reading Addition - These all relate to your reading addition and can be written anywhere on the prescription. 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". Free Shipping Worldwide on Orders Over $69, Full Explanations: Sphere, Cylinder and Axis in Glasses. Free Gifts with Purchases Over $100 | Learn More. Most reputable online suppliers like Spex4Less will offer a variety of forms for you to enter your prescription details in to. 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). Marketing cookies are used to offer personalized advertisements. Spectacle-related eye injuries, spectacle-impact performance and eye protection. The cylinder is the indication of the condition, astigmatism, in which the cornea is shaped irregularly causing distorted or blurred vision. You'll notice the CYL and AXIS values are the same for both distance and near. They are abbreviations foroculus dexterandoculus sinister, which are Latin terms for right eye and left eye. The ADD value is also referred to as a "Near Addition" or "Reading Addition". 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. Naturally, a prescription will contain values for the correction of both of your eyes. The "Distance" row contains the values required to correct your distance vision for the respective eye. 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). All transactions are secured with the latest SSL technology, verified by Amazon. These will usually be specific types of corrective lens recommendations such as multifocal lenses, progressives, anti-reflective coating, photochromatic, or transition lenses. You can simply select the values that match your prescription. What does "SPH" appearing under Cylinder on my prescription mean? These are the abbreviations that denote to Oculus Dexter and oculus sinister in Latin and mean left eye and right eye. When people talk about their eye degree or power, they are usually referring to their SPH value. This shows how much focal point power, estimated in diopters (D), endorsed to address myopia or farsightedness. 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. 2000-2023 AAV Media, LLC. The second prescription shows the patients complete distance prescription for the right and left eye followed by a reading addition value of +2.25. 10 Signs You Need Glasses may be helpful. We may earn commissions if you purchase something via one of our links. Astigmatism is often present at birth, but it can develop, or become more severe, as you get older. Astigmatism correction is not spherical. Single vision lenses vs progressive lenses. Did you get confused? This is the amount of prismatic power, measured in prism diopters ("p.d." To convert a multi-focal prescription for single vision reading glasses, simply combine the Add number and the Spherical number. You can then go ahead and enter the prescription as follows: By clicking the link Need Help? Through her writing, Dr. Huang enjoys educating patients on how to lead healthier and happier lives. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. This indicates the required strength for the near prescription in your lens. SPH is the abbreviation for the word sphere. DS simply means no power is present in the CYL box so leave this as NONE or DS. This is why you need to go to a local optician, not buy online. Add indicates the magnifying power applied to the bottom part of bifocal, multifocal, or progressive lenses used to correct presbyopia (age-related farsightedness). The AXIS stands for Axis and SPH stands for Sphere. If there is no number written under the CYL part, this means you are free from astigmatism and need no eye contact. It usually occurs along with near or farsightedness. If the human eye acuity is 20/200, this is called the bad eye axis and is considered the blind person. Social cookies allow you to utilize social media features. +4.50 -1.50 x90. Screen time for kids: How much is too much? Your prescription will usually contain the following: Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will perform an eye examination to determine these values. Different prescriptions and how to enter your values on our site. might be bigger than you would like! In the context of an eye prescription. When reading your glasses prescription you will find values under the headings of SPH, CYL, AXIS and sometimes PRISM & BASE. For more information, please see our. 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. If you promise not to get in a petty snit, and let me explain why, I'll tell you the answer to your question. This is the abbreviation for the Latin termoculus uterque, which means "both eyes.". So what's an astigmatism? For example: (+2.00) + (+2.25) = (+4.25). In AXIS, the lens meridian plays an important role. How to Read Eye Prescription | OD vs. OS | Eyebuydirect 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. If your prescription only shows the SPH box with a value, leave the CYL and AXIS blank. Typical SPH numbers range between 0.00 and +/- 20.00. This is especially handy as you can copy the values without having to make any calculations yourself. These glasses are often worn full time. Add, Near Add, Reading Addition- These all relate to your reading addition and can be written anywhere on the prescription. 1-800 Contacts is our #1 recommendation to buy contacts online. Balance - No values are required. Page published on Thursday, 21 February, 2019. oBundle. Cyl = cylinder or the amount or power of the astigmatism correction. What does sphere cylinder and axis mean? 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. Best way to buy glasses: Online or in person? The Definitive Guide to Understanding your Prescription. SelectSpecs USA When the shape of the human eye cornea changes, the large changes in the measurement of the axis is seen though, this is rare. If this column is blank, it means you have no astigmatism. During an eye exam, your doctor will determine whether you need vision correction. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement. BVD- Back Vertex Distance is the distance required from the front of your eye (cornea) to the back surface of the corrective lens. 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? The sphere power is the base power of a lens which is 360 degrees around the lens. If not, keep on your reading and you will find the full explanations in the following part. 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. A glasses prescription can be displayed in a number of ways. If your glasses are for distance only, this will not be an issue. Cylinder (CYL) Cylinder indicates the amount of lens power needed for astigmatism. What are blue-light-blocking glasses and how do they work? The lens power amount is, therefore, measured in D (diopters) for farsightedness or nearsightedness. The cyl power has its axis at the 180 meridian, meaning the horizontal (180-degree) meridian of the eye has no added power for astigmatism and the vertical (90-degree) meridian gets the added -0.50 D. Both eyes are being prescribed an "add power" of +2.00 D for the correction of presbyopia, and this eyeglass prescription includes a prismatic correction of 0.5 prism diopter in each eye. When you enter your prescription during checkout, please select "Not Applicable" for all Cylinder and Axis fields, thank you. 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. There are occasions where your optician will write out your complete "Distance" prescription followed by your complete "Near" prescription. Essentially, OD means right eye, and OS means left eye. That is to say, the OD means the right eye and OS means the left eye. Now you know the ABCs and the ODs and OSs of your eyeglass prescription, so you can make sense of your eyeglass prescription. However, there are other parameters, such as CYL which means the astigmatism part and AX which means the axis position in the astigmatism. Free Express Shipping and 30-Day Returns Worldwide. The doctor wrote "SPH" in the Cylinder column. This is always a "+" value in 0.25 steps. Eyeglass prescriptions may have several components, including sphere, cylinder, and axis. Spex4Less, Everite House,Carr Lane, Hoylake,Wirral, CH47 4BG. The number appearing in this section of the prescription is always a "plus" power, even if it is not preceded by a plus sign. CYL (Cylinder) CYL is a '+' or '-' value in 0.25 steps and is required to correct your astigmatism. Prescribing spectacles: reasons for failure of spectacle lens acceptance. What Do the Abbreviations on My Glasses Prescription Mean? Cylinder indicates the amount of lens power for astigmatism. 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). You must be logged in to manage your wishlist. ; values are usually entered with computer, but may be handwritten by doctor. 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. SPH indicates the adjustment for spherical power, with . You can view our cookie policy here. Here are some common prescription types to help you navigate yours. Similar to SPH, optometrists measure CYL in increments of 0.25 diopters. Your optician may or may not write DS (Dioptres Sphere) in the CYL box. In SPH, plus sign is an indication of which condition? Thats why weve put together a short guide to help you learn how to read a glasses prescription so you can get to ordering your new set of eyeglasses as quickly as possible. A number over 5 is generally considered to be on the stronger side. Common abbreviations that appear on your prescription. Your eyeglass prescription also may have a column labeled "OU." What Does Sphere, Cylinder and Axis Mean? - Eye Associates of Tucson Michael is the content strategist and a lead content writer for Vision Center. The axis is the astigmatism orientation. 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. 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. | | This means that the eyeball is spherical and has no oblongedness, and consequently has no Cylinder or Axis values. Eye Sphere, Cylinder and Axis - Snowy Range Vision Center This indicates the amount of lens power for astigmatism. Whats more, if an eyeglass prescription includes cylinder power, it also must include an Axis value, which follows the CYL power. The three columns (from left to right) refer to Sphere (SPH), Cylinder (CYL) and Axis. This measurement is important as it explains at what distance your lenses should sit from your eyes. OOPS! What does SPH mean for glasses? The term sphere refers to the fact that distance vision correction is spherical, or equal in all meridians of the eye. Is 20/20 or 6 by 6 vision perfect eyesight? The images below show the same prescription information in two different formats. The measurement is the Dioptre, and most values range from +0.50 to +3.50 and will go up in steps of 0.25. Sphere (SPH) and Cylinder (CYL) always have a (+) or (-) sign. This box maybe empty or have a plus or a minus value in it. Well break down your prescription step-by-step. By Email or 0330 165 6900, Site Map This indicates the amount of lens power, measured in diopters (D), prescribed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. These are needed to tell us how to shape the lens so that it can accurately align the wearers eyesight. This value is the amount to add on to the distance SPH values to ascertain what the full Near prescription should be. The axis indicates the angle (in degrees) between the two meridians of an astigmatic eye. What does SPH DS mean? This correction is often used for computer (VDU) operation. Warby Parker has stylish, high-quality frames at affordable prices. If you are nearsighted, you will see there is a minus sign(-) next to the Sphere number. Different ways a prescription can be displayed.Common abbreviations that appear on your prescription. It does not matter whether the correction is of farsightedness or nearsightedness; it is always in spherical form. 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. Theplus (+) orminus (-) sign before SPH indicates whether you are nearsighted or farsighted. What Does Sphere, Cylinder and Axis Mean? - Premier Eye Care & Surgery What does SPH mean for glasses? Some people may have prism in two directions for one eye, for example; Prism 2.00 Base IN & 1.00 Base UP. AXISAn AXIS will only be found on your prescription if there is a CYL value for the same eye. The cylinder is the indication of the condition, astigmatism, in which the cornea is shaped irregularly causing distorted or blurred vision. 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. This is a common question when the person who consults eye specialists encountered the eye prescription. We use cookies to personalize content, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. Traditional eyeglasses are usually single vision lenses with one pre Metal frames are suitable for wearing. The information provided on VisionCenter.org should not be used in place of actual information provided by a doctor or a specialist. This is the most common format with clearly printed fields for OD, OS, SPH, CYL, etc. Essentially this means correction for Astigmatism is not required for the prescription being considered. 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.