Understanding your eyeglass prescription is crucial when ordering lenses online. The various abbreviations and numbers can seem confusing at first, but knowing their meanings ensures you get the right lenses tailored to your vision needs. Let’s dive into the key terms and symbols commonly found on eyeglass prescriptions:
OS, OD, and OU
- OS: Oculus sinister, or left eye.
- OD: Oculus dexter, or right eye.
- OU: Oculus uterque, meaning both eyes.
These abbreviations specify which eye each prescription applies to, ensuring accuracy in lens preparation.
Nearsightedness and Farsightedness
- Nearsightedness: Often indicated by a minus (-) sign, corrects difficulty in seeing distant objects clearly (myopia).
- Farsightedness: Shown by a plus (+) sign, corrects difficulty in seeing close-up objects clearly (hyperopia or presbyopia).
Understanding these signs helps in identifying your specific vision condition.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism results from irregularly shaped eyes, causing blurred vision. Your prescription includes:
- Cylinder (CYL): Corrects astigmatism; noted with a number indicating lens power.
- Axis: Specifies the orientation of the cylindrical correction.
These details ensure your lenses are tailored to correct the irregular shape of your eye for clearer vision.
Sphere, Cylinder, and Axis
- Sphere (SPH): Indicates lens power for nearsightedness or farsightedness.
- Cylinder (CYL): Corrects astigmatism; noted if applicable.
- Axis: Specifies the angle of the cylindrical power to correct astigmatism.
These numbers are essential for precise lens fabrication.
Optical Power
- Also referred to as dioptric or refractive power.
- Indicates the strength of your lenses for optimal vision correction.
Pupillary Distance (PD)
- Binocular PD: Distance between the centers of your pupils.
- Monocular PD: Distance from the center of your nose to each pupil.
These measurements ensure your lenses are aligned correctly with your eyes for optimal visual correction.
ADD
- Stands for “addition” and pertains to additional lens power for multifocal or progressive lenses.
- Commonly used for presbyopia, which affects near vision as people age.
Prism Lenses (BD, BU, BI, BO)
- Used to correct double vision (diplopia).
- BD: Base down.
- BU: Base up.
- BI: Base in.
- BO: Base out.
These indicate the appropriate prism positioning for optimal correction.
Understanding these terms empowers you to confidently interpret your eyeglass prescription. Whether you’re ordering lenses online or visiting an optician, this knowledge ensures you receive glasses that provide clear, comfortable vision tailored to your specific needs.
For more information on eyeglass prescriptions or to explore a wide range of lenses and frames, visit [Your Website]. We offer affordable options and expert guidance to help you find the perfect eyewear solution. Start seeing clearly today!
Look no further than Visionspecialists.org, where you can snag the latest sunglass trends at discounted prices. Plus, with the option to use your FSA and HSA accounts, saving money on prescription sunglasses lenses has never been easier. So go ahead, step into fall with style and savings!