Reading And Understanding Your Prescription

Knowing how to read your prescription is essential! It contains specific information about the corrective power required to help you see clearly and choose the best frame + lens combination for your vision needs.

Here is an example of a typical prescription, to help you understand everything perfectly.

Right Eye (OD)
OD stands for "oculus dexter" which is Latin for "right eye"

Left Eye (OS)
OS stands for "oculus sinister" which is Latin for "left eye"

Sphere (SPH) - also known as Power (PWR)
They mean the same thing: the strength of your prescription. If you're nearsighted you will have a minus (-) before your values, and if you're or farsighted you will have a plus (+).

Cylinder (CYL)
This is for people with astigmatism. This is when one part of the eye needs more correction than the rest. The Cylinder value is written with a minus (-) sign.

Axis
This is only for people with astigmatism. The axis is a number between 0 and 180 and determines the orientation of the Cylinder (CYL).

Add Power (ADD)
This is only for progressive/multifocal lenses. It can be a plus (+) sign with a number or for certain brands "high" or "low".