This is especially handy as you can copy the values without having to make any calculations yourself. ; values are usually entered with computer, but may be handwritten by doctor. The number under the OD and OS measurement in your prescription is measured in diopters. 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). When you enter your prescription during checkout, please select "Not Applicable" for all Cylinder and Axis fields, thank you. Plano, Infinity, 0.00, - Basically 0.00 or no correction is required for that part of the prescription. What is pupillary distance (PD) and how do you measure it? What does SPH mean for glasses? Older Post 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. The value may be as high as 10 and may go up in steps of or 1 Prism Dioptres. If you complete an eye exam and find your eyes needs have changed, you need to order a new prescription as soon as possible. Keep your prescription up to date so these numbers can accurately reflect your visual needs. If you are trying to reach us outside of these hours please email us at [emailprotected] and we will respond the next working day. Find an eyecare professional and book online in minutes! They can also be written anywhere on the prescription. If not, keep on your reading and you will find the full explanations in the following part. Cylinder power always follows Sphere power in 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. Some eyeglass prescriptions may require a PD (pupillary distance) measurement. One FREE Frame with SV 1.56 index lenses are included ! Should I get a second opinion? Contact us, Mon. Impact resistance and prescription compliance with AS/NZS 1337.6:2010. This stands for cylinder, and it refers to the strength of the lenses needed to correct your astigmatism. The measurement is Prism Dioptre. 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. Cyl = cylinder or the amount or power of the astigmatism correction. OSstands for oculus sinister, Latin for left eye.. The doctor wrote "SPH" in the Cylinder column. What does 165 axis mean - One tool that can be used is What does 165 axis mean. There is no astigmatism correction for this eye, so no cylinder power or axis is noted. 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? Sphere, often written as SPH, means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is spherical, equal in all meridians of the eye. If not, keep on your reading and you will find the full explanations in the following part. ADD is always a positive number and ranges from +0.75 to +3.00 for most people. 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. This doctor has elected to add "SPH," to confirm the right eye is being prescribed only spherical power. Privacy, Eye Testing and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). Prescribing spectacles: reasons for failure of spectacle lens acceptance. This value is the amount to add on to the distance SPH values to ascertain what the full Near prescription should be. All frame measurements can be found in the details tab on our product pages. OS -1.00 -0.50 x 180 +2.00 add 0.5 p.d. Cylinder (CYL) Cylinder indicates the amount of lens power needed for astigmatism. The three columns (from left to right) refer to Sphere (SPH), Cylinder (CYL) and Axis. 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. What is SPH in a Glasses Prescription? It is measured in diopters, the unit of measurement for the lens's refractive (light-bending) power. Most online retailers ask you to read and input your prescription into their order form, but if you dont know how to read your prescription, that process can get complicated. A minus (-) symbol next to this number means youre nearsighted, and a plus (+) symbol means the prescription is meant to correct farsightedness. Press J to jump to the feed. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. On the off chance that the number showing up under this heading has a short sign . See below to learn the meaning of SPH, CYL Axis, Prism, PD, and more. Base is the direction of a PRISM value and will only be supplied if the prescription has a PRISM value. 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. It is used to correctly orientate the cylinder correction when making your glasses. SPH, or sphere, refers to the amount of correction needed for nearsightedness or farsightedness. 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. For example, "1.5" or 1. The axis is defined with a number from 1 to 180. When we look at the eye prescription written by our consultant, different questions come to mind. | Sphere refers to the power of your lens (measured in dioptre units) to correct the degree of short or long sight you have. On the eye prescription, CYL represents the cylinder correction part whether there is astigmatism or not. Eyeglass prescriptions may have several components, including sphere, cylinder, and axis. In the second part, we will explain what the Cylinder in glasses is. This indicates the amount of lens power, measured in diopters (D), prescribed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. A glasses prescription can be displayed in a number of ways. 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. If your prescription only shows the SPH box with a value, leave the CYL and AXIS blank. This instructs the person making your glasses to use a lens of similar weight to balance out the frame. There are occasions where your optician will write out your complete "Distance" prescription followed by your complete "Near" prescription. To make a purchase on our Canadian site, you'll need to create a separate account. 1-800 Contacts is our #1 recommendation to buy contacts online. A + in the box indicates that you are long-sighted which means you find it difficult to see things close to you. 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. What is CYL in glasses? The CYL and AXIS compensate for an astigmatism. Posted by otakugrey. They may also enter an abbreviation "DS" (Dioptre Spheres). What If My Prescription Does Not Follow The Format on Your Website? Terms of sale The number 90 means the vertical meridian of the eye and the number 180 means the horizontal meridian. 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. 'Add' +2.50 - should be entered for both eyes). 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. What does sphere cylinder and axis mean? It is used to correctly orientate the cylinder correction when making your glasses. Most values range from +/- 0.25 to +/- 4.00 and will go up in steps of 0.25. Whats more, if an eyeglass prescription includes cylinder power, it also must include an Axis value, which follows the CYL power. 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. You may find a number listed which helps determine the amount of lens power that is needed to correct astigmatism. What does that mean. 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 nothing appears in this column, either you have no astigmatism, or your astigmatism is so slight that it is not really necessary to . Only a small percentage of eyeglass prescriptions include prism. A minus (-) symbol next to this number means you're nearsighted, and a plus (+) symbol means the prescription is meant to correct farsightedness. What does "SPH" appearing under Cylinder on my prescription mean? GlassesUSA has a huge selection of contacts, glasses, & sunglasses. During an eye exam, your doctor will determine whether you need vision correction. Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. You can view our cookie policy here. GogglesNMore All Rights Reserved. might be bigger than you would like! Your eyeglass prescription contains other terms and abbreviations as well. The information on this free-form prescription is usually handwritten. Cylinder is the indication of the lens power amount that is basically needed for the eyes disease named astigmatism (blurred vision). 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. What is the difference between polarized and non-polarized lenses? If your glasses are for distance only, this will not be an issue. You're currently shopping our United States site. When you hold the prescription, have you ever been curious to know what the number and letters mean for your eyesight? "How to Read Your Eyeglass Prescription. The axis is defined with a number from 1 to 180. Sphere means the spherical correction where the meridians of the human eye are equal. 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. OOPS! With our 14-Day Fit & Style Guarantee, you can request a refund or exchange a new pair, hassle-free! This indicates the required strength for the near prescription in your lens. AXISAn AXIS will only be found on your prescription if there is a CYL value for the same eye. The axis is the astigmatism orientation. This is an important question because this is related to the eyes and gives answers related to different changes in the human eye. What Do The Values On Your Prescription Mean? +4.50 -1.50 x90. The second prescription shows the patients complete distance prescription for the right and left eye followed by a reading addition value of +2.25. 'Sphere' is basically a measure of how strong your prescription needs to be. What face shape best suits round glasses? It tells the optician how to orient the lens so that the cylinder has no power at the axis location. SPH, or sphere, refers to the amount of correction needed for nearsightedness or farsightedness. Here at Spex4Less, you will find both of these options directly above the prescription form. The two rows refer to your right (OD) and left (OS) eyeswith the right eye always on the upper row. Your optician may or may not write DS (Dioptres Sphere) in the CYL box. 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. This stops light from focusing properly on your retina and makes your vision blurry. Tap on the prescription form to find out what all those number and abbreviations mean, By proceeding to the site or clicking Accept All Cookies, you consent to such use. 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. A multifocal prescription will include an ADD value, sometimes marked as NV. Our entire range of womens prescription designer glasses. For multi-focal glasses, as well as reading and computer glasses, your Rx will include an ADD or NV value. It is not a condition, or disease. In the eye prescription, there are some important elements you need to know including Sphere, Cylinder, and Axis. Get the latest updates on new products and upcoming sales, 2023 Warby Parker has stylish, high-quality frames at affordable prices. Sphere (SPH) and Cylinder (CYL) always have a (+) or (-) sign. Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. 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. Your prescription gives us, your Opticians or Doctors recommendation for clear and comfortable vision. 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). If there is no number written under the CYL part, this means you are free from astigmatism and need no eye contact. Conversely, if your prescription does not display a CYL value, you do not need an Axis value. Free Shipping Worldwide on Orders Over $69, Full Explanations: Sphere, Cylinder and Axis in Glasses. The number marked axis describes the orientation of astigmatism. . Commonly, this number will be different for each eye. Through her writing, Dr. Huang enjoys educating patients on how to lead healthier and happier lives. When you hold the prescription, have you ever been curious to know what the number and letters mean for your eyesight? For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. This number always has a (+) sign. The Sphere is also used to correct the nearsightedness or farsightedness. Pro Tip - Make sure to pay particular attention to whether the values are a + or -. 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. Sphere, also known as degree or power, is the amount of single vision correction you need. It does not matter whether the correction is of farsightedness or nearsightedness; it is always in spherical form. However, if you have a CYL value, you must have a corresponding Axis value. A minus (-) symbol next to this number means you're nearsighted, and a plus (+) symbol means the prescription is meant to correct farsightedness. When no correction for SPH is required the optician will write "Plano", "", "0.00" or just leave the space blank. These are the abbreviations that denote to Oculus Dexter and oculus sinister in Latin and mean left eye and right eye. It would be entered on our website as below: Our online prescription form initially displays the most common format, Distance with a Near Add. OD is your right eye. The base value will show either in or out, or up and down, indicating the direction the prism should be angled. You've just had an eye exam and your optometrist or ophthalmologist has given you an eyeglass prescription, but what do all those numbers on your eyeglass prescription mean? Explained: Why do new glasses make you dizzy? Copyright 2022 VisionCenter.org. In SPH, the minus sign is an indication of which condition? 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. In eye prescription, what does CYL means? On the other hand, if your SPH value is +1.00, you are farsighted and need correction for seeing closer objects. The PRISM value will also be followed by a directional value (see BASE below). The Sphere is also used to correct the nearsightedness or farsightedness. Common Abbreviations That Appear on Your Prescription. The measurement is the Dioptre. 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. On the prescription of eyeglasses, the cylinder typically follows the sphere power. To convert a multi-focal prescription for single vision reading glasses, simply combine the Add number and the Spherical number. Naturally, a prescription will contain values for the correction of both of your eyes. 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. 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 term "sphere" means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is "spherical," or equal in all meridians of the eye. SPH is one of the parameters to report your eye prescription. 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. Like SPH and CYL, optometrists measure ADD in increments of 0.25 diopters. All transactions are secured with the latest SSL technology, verified by Amazon. Now that you understand those mysterious letters and numbers, you know how to read a glasses prescription! We use cookies to give you a fantastic customer experience. 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. We use cookies to personalize content, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. Astigmatism is often present at birth, but it can develop, or become more severe, as you get older. You will notice there is no CYL or AXIS for the left eye, this means there is no astigmatism present. Unlike typical Rx formats, with values going from left to right, the vertical Rx values are listed top to bottom. The sphere is the indication of how strong the lenses need to be in order to correct the vision. 6. The numbers on your eyeglass prescription describe precisely how your glasses lenses should be cut. It will be a number between 1 and 180. 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). If the number is negative (), it means it is correcting nearsightedness. 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. COPYRIGHT document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); ZENNI OPTICAL , INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. OD is short for the Latin term oculus dexter which means right eye. The higher the number on your prescription, the stronger your prescription is. When reading your glasses prescription you will find values under the headings of SPH, CYL, AXIS and sometimes PRISM & BASE. Our entire range of mens glasses suitable for varifocal lenses. Sphere, sometimes abbreviated as SPH, indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. VA, Visual Acuities- These values describe your vision (visual acuity) but are not needed to make your glasses. All Rights Reserved. This prescription is for the left eye, and -1.50 means that your nearsightedness is measured at 1 and 1/2 diopters. If you cant make sense of your eyeglass prescription, youre not alone. Sphere means the spherical correction where the meridians of the human eye are equal. If the number appearing under this heading has a minus sign (-), you . They can also be written anywhere on the prescription. When shes not working, Dr. Huang loves reviewing new skin care products, trying interesting food recipes, or hanging with her adopted cats. A nearsighted prescription will feature a number with a minus (-) symbol in the sphere box. It usually occurs along with near or farsightedness. If this column is blank, it means you have no astigmatism. The axis indicates the angle (in degrees) between the two meridians of an astigmatic eye. However, there are other parameters, such as CYL which means the astigmatism part and AX which means the axis position in the 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 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. Click here if your prescription looks different to this form. as shown in the image below. This is a common question when the person who consults eye specialists encountered the eye prescription. That is to say, the OD means the right eye and OS means the left eye. You may also have a column labeled OU, which means oculus uterque, or both eyes. (See Different ways in which a prescription can be displayed below). It indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct astigmatism, measured in diopters. 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. It is measured with the unit diopters (D), indicating the lens power of the glasses. But what exactly do all these abbreviations and numbers mean? After reading this part, you may get the answer. In SPH, the minus sign is the indication of nearsightedness (far away objects are blurred). An AXIS will only be found on your prescription if there is a CYL value for the same eye. Children should have their first eye exam when they are around six months old, and then another just before they start school. When you enter your prescription during checkout, please select "Not Applicable" for all Cylinder and Axis fields, thank you. If you see the "sph" in the "cyl" box . Add, Near Add, Reading Addition - These all relate to your reading addition and can be written anywhere on the prescription. 10 Signs You Need Glasses may be helpful. Here are some common prescription types to help you navigate yours. CYL (Cylinder) CYL is a '+' or '-' value in 0.25 steps and is required to correct your astigmatism. These links allow you to toggle the form so that it appears the same as the hard copy of your prescription (see image below). The cylinder is the indication of the condition, astigmatism, in which the cornea is shaped irregularly causing distorted or blurred vision. They may also enter an abbreviation "DS" (Dioptre Spheres) or "SPH" (Sphere) indicating that the correction required is spherical only. Different ways a prescription can be displayed.Common abbreviations that appear on your prescription. Theplus (+) orminus (-) sign before SPH indicates whether you are nearsighted or farsighted. Sphere (SPH) and Cylinder (CYL) always have a (+) or (-) sign. A cylinder forms a focus 90 degrees to its axis. What are the different types of contact lenses? On the eye prescription, there are minus and plus signs in the cylinder column. 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. A prescription for someone who is farsighted will feature a number with a plus (+) symbol in the sphere box. What does SPH mean for glasses? At first glance, the details may seem quite confusing. The number 90 corresponds to the vertical meridian of the eye, and the number . In the right eye, the prism is base down (BD); in the left eye, it's base up (BU). The number 90 corresponds to the vertical meridian of the eye, and the number 180 corresponds to the horizontal meridian. OS is an abbreviation of the Latin oculus sinister which means left eye. Add, Near Add, Reading Addition- These all relate to your reading addition and can be written anywhere on the prescription. Our entire range of womens glasses suitable for varifocal lenses. BO=Base Out, BI=Base In, BU=Base Up, and BD (or BDn)=Base Down. In AXIS, the lens meridian plays an important role. 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. As you can see in the first example (Standard GOS 2 Glasses Prescription) the optician has listed the patient's complete distance prescription on the top row and the complete near prescription in the bottom row. Sphere: The sphere (SPH) on your prescription indicates the lens power you need to see clearly. 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. Free Express Shipping and 30-Day Returns Worldwide.