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How to read your glasses prescription

How to enter your glasses prescription

OD is an abbreviation for the Latin term oculus dexter which means right eye. Notice that the right eye information is asked for first even though we typically read from left to right.

OS is an abbreviation of the Latin oculus sinister which means left eye. That will be referenced on the far right column of the prescription.

SPH is short for sphere. The sphere of your prescription indicates the power on the lenses that is needed to see clearly. A plus (+) symbol indicates the eyeglass wearer is farsighted. A minus (-) symbol indicates that the eyeglass wearer is nearsighted.

CYL is short for cylinder. The cylinder indicates the lens power necessary to correct astigmatism. If the column has no value (is blank), it indicates that the eyeglass wearer does not have astigmatism. If this is the case on your prescription, you can leave it blank when entering it in.

AXIS is a prescription will include an axis value for those with astigmatism. This number represents the angle of the lens that shouldn't feature a cylinder power to help correct your astigmatism.

ADD is short for "additional correction." This is where details about bifocals, multifocal lenses or progressive lenses would appear.

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How to read your contacts prescription

How to enter your contacts prescription

OD is an abbreviation for the Latin term oculus dexter which means right eye. Notice that the right eye information is asked for first even though we typically read from left to right.

OS is an abbreviation of the Latin oculus sinister which means left eye. That will be referenced on the far right column of the prescription.

B.C. is short for base curve measurement indicates the back curvature of your contact lens, in millimetres. This is important for comfort, as the BC of your contact lenses should match your eye's natural curve as closely as possible to ensure a better fit when you are wearing your contact lenses.

DIA is short for "diameter," or the distance from one edge of the contact lens to the other. This is measured in millimeters.

SPH is short for sphere. The sphere of your prescription indicates the power on the lenses that is needed to see clearly. A plus (+) symbol indicates the eyeglass wearer is farsighted. A minus (-) symbol indicates that the eyeglass wearer is nearsighted.

CYL is short for cylinder. The cylinder indicates the lens power necessary to correct astigmatism. If the column has no value (is blank), it indicates that the eyeglass wearer does not have astigmatism. If this is the case on your prescription, you can leave it blank when entering it in.

AXIS is a prescription will include an axis value for those with astigmatism. This number represents the angle of the lens that shouldn't feature a cylinder power to help correct your astigmatism.

ADD is short for "additional correction." This is where details about bifocals, multifocal lenses or progressive lenses would appear.

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Measurements
If you already have a pair of glasses, you can compare the measurements to your current frame. Just look inside your temple to find your frame measurements. The overall frame size is a combination of lens and bridge's width measurements.
Lens Width Bridge Width Temple Length
XS < 42 mm < 16 mm <=128 mm
S 42 mm - 48 mm 16 mm - 17 mm 128 mm - 134 mm
M 49 mm - 52 mm 18 mm - 19 mm 135 mm - 141 mm
L >52 mm >19 mm >= 141 mm