Read your Glasses Prescription with Ease
Trying to understand your glasses prescription may seem like a daunting task, so we'll teach you how to properly understand your prescription so that you'll be able to choose the exact lenses you need to order when you get your pair of prescription glasses from All4Eyes.
Your glasses prescription is a series of numbers, usually in a chart, that describe the lenses needed to correct your vision. This chart has two rows, one for your right eye and one for your left. Four columns are used to precisely describe your correction.
How do I get a copy of my prescription?
The optician is legally obliged to provide you with a copy of your prescription after your eye test. If they don’t give you this, make sure you ask them.
How recent does my prescription have to be?
Your prescription must be no older than two years. Your recommended intervals between eye tests vary depending on your age and health
Using your Prescription to Buy Prescription Glasses
If you want Distance Glasses
If you don't have astigmatism, you'll need to enter the following from your prescription:
If you do have astigmastism, you'll need to enter the following from your prescription:
- SPH/Sphere
- CYL/Cylinder
- AXIS
If you want Reading Glasses
If you don't have astigmatism, you'll need to enter the following from your prescription:
If you do have astigmastism, you'll need to enter the following from your prescription:
- SPH/Sphere
- CYL/Cylinder
- AXIS
- ADD/NV
What do the Abbreviations Mean?
- SPH/Sphere: The amount of spherical error in your eyes, measured in quarters and proceeded by a (+) or a (-) sign,
- CYL/Cylinder: The amount of lens power to fix your astigmatism, a refractive error resulting in distorted and blurry vision, measured in quarters and proceeded by a (+) or a (-) sign.
- AXIS: Refers to the orientation of astigmatism, measured in degrees 1 to 180.
- ADD/NV: Stands for Near Vision, which is used for multifocal or reading correction, measurered in quarters. This power is specifically for bifocal or free-form progressive lenses that enlarge immediate vision and is always indicated by a (+) sign.
- OD: Refers to the right eye. Some prescriptions will use RE instead.
- OS: Refers to the left eye. Some prescriptions will use LE instead.
- PD: Stands for Pupillary Distance, which is the distance in millimeters between the centre of one pupil to the centre of the other.