If your prescription indicates a CYL value, you must have a corresponding Axis value. All About Vision and AllAboutVision.com are registered trademarks of AAV Media, LLC. The number marked axis describes the orientation of astigmatism. Generally, it will range from +0.75 to +3.00 D and will be the same power for both eyes. This measurement is important as it explains at what distance your lenses should sit from your eyes. 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. If not, keep on your reading and you will find the full explanations in the following part. What is a contact lens eye exam and fitting? They can also be written anywhere on the prescription. The lens power amount is, therefore, measured in D (diopters) for farsightedness or nearsightedness. The three columns (from left to right) refer to Sphere (SPH), Cylinder (CYL) and Axis. The axis indicates the angle (in degrees) between the two meridians of an astigmatic eye. This indicates the amount of lens power, measured in diopters (D), prescribed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. In the following picture, you can see an eye prescription. It tells the optician how to orient the lens so that the cylinder has no power at the axis location. The ADD value is also referred to as a "Near Addition" or "Reading Addition". It is used to correctly orientate the cylinder correction when making your glasses. The sphere is the indication of how strong the lenses need to be in order to correct the vision. This is the amount of prismatic power, measured in prism diopters ("p.d." If you are still unsure about entering your prescription details when ordering glasses online, make sure that you choose a supplier that offers an "Upload" or "Send Later" option. With eight years of experience in the world of content strategy and creation, Michael specializes in medical copywriting and advanced research methodologies. This box maybe empty or have a plus or a minus value in it. 6. In other words, because eyeglasses and contact lenses have different distances from your eyes, the amount of correctionneeded is also different. Our entire range of prescription glasses for Women. Thats where your new prescription from your optometrist or ophthalmologist comes in. oBundle. 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. Do not worry about entering your prescription details online. The type of Rx glasses may be noted on a prescription, such as DV [Distance Vision/nearsightedness] and NV [Near Vision/reading]. Checkout now! Diopter is the measurement used for the strength of eyeglass lenses. 'Add' +2.50 - should be entered for both eyes). Knowing what they mean will also help you more easily discuss your prescription with your eye care professional. Each spectacle lens will have an optical centre, this is a point on the lens where it performs the best and has the least distortion. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel. The number appearing in this section of the prescription is always a "plus" power, even if it is not preceded by a plus sign. What is CYL in glasses? CYL (Cylinder) CYL is a '+' or '-' value in 0.25 steps and is required to correct your astigmatism. The AXIS, in degrees, is a number between 0 and 180. 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. Our entire range of mens glasses suitable for varifocal lenses. The SPH number on a glasses prescription is listed as a positive (+) or negative (-) number. SPH, or sphere, refers to the amount of correction needed for nearsightedness or farsightedness. The images below show the same prescription information in two different formats. The left eye (OS) is being prescribed -1.00 D sphere for myopia plus -0.50 D cylinder for the correction of astigmatism. The minus sign and the plus sign next to the Cylinder numbers are also for nearsightedness and farsightedness. 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. Here at Spex4Less, you will find both of these options directly above the prescription form. This post will explain them one by one. If you see a negative value (-) that means your child is nearsighted. 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. Near is the prescription to correct near vision and may appear in full, or as an additional power (ADD) to the distance. Now that you understand those mysterious letters and numbers, you know how to read a glasses prescription! What does SPH DS mean? Our friendly customer service team are on hand to help Monday to Friday 9 am-5 pm and Saturdays 9 am-12 pm. In SPH, the minus sign is an indication of which condition? By continuing to shop we will assume you are happy to receive all cookies. 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. Medically Reviewed by Dr. Melody Huang, O.D. Do you know the meaning of the Sphere, Cylinder and Axis? The measurement is the Dioptre, and most values range from +0.50 to +3.50 and will go up in steps of 0.25. EyeBuyDirect has a wide variety of budget frames starting at $6. What is CYL, AXIS and SPH? Your prescription will usually contain the following: Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will perform an eye examination to determine these values. The sphere portion is a Continue Reading 6 1 Sponsored by TruthFinder Have you ever googled yourself? On the other hand, if your SPH value is +1.00, you are farsighted and need correction for seeing closer objects. Cylinder power is always written after sphere power in an eyeglass prescription. The doctor wrote "SPH" in the Cylinder column. SPH is a '+' or '-' value in 0.25 steps and is required to correct your nearsightedness (-) or farsightedness (+). The cylinder is the indication of the condition, astigmatism, in which the cornea is shaped irregularly causing distorted or blurred vision. This is always "+" value in 0.25 steps. What does that mean. Impact resistance and prescription compliance with AS/NZS 1337.6:2010. These links allow you to toggle the form so that it appears the same as the hard copy of your prescription (see image below). Consequently, 24 shown by the red line on the Continue Reading 10 Sponsored by Forbes Advisor Here are some common prescription types to help you navigate yours. For example: SPH -3.25 CYL -1.25 AXIS 120. This format is less common in the US. It is measured with the unit diopters(D), indicating the lens power of the glasses. If you require progressive lenses, your prescription willdisplay a value under the ADD (addition) column. On the other hand, in the farsightedness, the person can see those objects clearly which are far but near object seems blurry. But keep in mind, all eyewear is different, so its just a general reference. It usually occurs along with near or farsightedness. Cylinder means the amount of lens power for astigmatism and shows the differences between the greatest and weakest powers of the eye. If nothing appears in your CYL column, you do not require astigmatism correction. On the eye prescription, CYL represents the cylinder correction part whether there is astigmatism or not. The numbers on your eyeglass prescription describe precisely how your glasses lenses should be cut. What face shape best suits cat eye glasses? The information on this free-form prescription is usually handwritten. ; values are usually entered with computer, but may be handwritten by doctor. The term "sphere" means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is "spherical," or equal in all meridians of the eye. Those individuals having 1.5 or more diopters will definitely need to use eyeglasses in order to correct the vision. In its simplest form, a prescription for glasses will feature a table with two rows and three columns. Sphere, often written as SPH, means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is spherical, equal in all meridians of the eye. A positive value, or a prescription with a plus-sign (+), means that your child is farsighted. Get the latest updates on new products and upcoming sales, 2023 The Sphere is also used to correct the nearsightedness or farsightedness. Base is the direction of a PRISM value and will only be supplied if the prescription has a PRISM value. A cylinder forms a focus 90 degrees to its axis. The 'addition' is only required if the glasses are going to be used for reading or close work. Sphere, also known as degree or power, is the amount of single vision correction you need. What is the difference between polarized and non-polarized lenses? 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. For more help finding your perfect pair of glasses, see our complete Size Guide. All these are used for the distance correction measurement. 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. What does that mean. The lens power amount is, therefore, measured in D (diopters) for farsightedness or nearsightedness. Warby Parker has stylish, high-quality frames at affordable prices. This is always a "+" value in 0.25 steps. The value may be as high as 10 and may go up in steps of or 1 Prism Dioptres. Sphere means the spherical correction where the meridians of the human eye are equal. A prescription for correcting eye alignment issues will include a PRISM and BASE value. They can also be written anywhere on the prescription. When you hold the prescription, have you ever been curious to know what the number and letters mean for your eyesight? We use cookies to give you a fantastic customer experience. Add, Near Add, Reading Addition- These all relate to your reading addition and can be written anywhere on the prescription. A Prism is to try and correct a lazy eye and indicates a more delicate condition, this is included with a prescription to correct some special conditions or some eye disorders (like squints) that require the focussed image to move position. 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. Pupillary distance explained: how to measure PD. The cylinder is the amount of power change from the sphere in one meridian. 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. What is pupillary distance (PD) and how do you measure it? United States Colour blindness test: Do you see colours correctly? 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? In the context of an eye prescription, OD means right eye and OS means left eye. might be bigger than you would like! For example, if the Add were +2.25 and the OD-Sph was -0.50, the new OD-Sph for reading glasses would be +1.75; if the Sph were +0.25, the new Sph would be +2.50. All Rights Reserved. Prism is used to correct eye alignment issues and can be a metric or fraction value. OS is an abbreviation of the Latin oculus sinister which means left eye. Similar to SPH, optometrists measure CYL in increments of 0.25 diopters. Essentially this means correction for Astigmatism is not required for the prescription being considered. All frame measurements can be found in the details tab on our product pages. Cylinder: The cylinder (CYL) number indicates the . If your prescription includes a BVD, it is important that the lenses sit at the correct distance to ensure comfortable vision. Sphere: The sphere (SPH) on your prescription indicates the lens power you need to see clearly. Sphere, sometimes abbreviated as SPH, indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. Remember, eyeglasses prescriptions are different than prescriptions for contact lenses. 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. When you hold the prescription, have you ever been curious to know what the number and letters mean for your eyesight?