Reading Your Prescription

How do I read my Prescription?

Your prescription is divided under the headings OD and OS. They are Latin abbreviations for Ocular Dexter, meaning right eye, and Ocular Sinister, meaning left eye. The first number is the Sphere. It is the basic correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness. It should have either a plus or minus sign or PL for Plano (or zero). For people with Astigmatism, the prescription details the Sphere, Cylinder (either negative or positive), and Axis. Having an Add in the prescription indicates that the doctor found a correction for Distance and Reading. This would mean ordering a bifocal/progressive lens or 2 separate pairs of glasses (for distance and reading).

If I don't have my prescription, can you get it from my doctor?

Doctors do not have to provide the information to us. They do however have to release it to you. It is best that you ask your doctor for a copy of your prescription.

What does it mean if by Cylinder the doctor wrote Sphere or DS?

It means that you need no correction for Cylinder or Axis and you should enter by these None.

Do all prescriptions have Axis and/or Cylinder?

No. Cylinder and Axis go together. You either have both or none.

What is PD?

Pupil Distance, the distance between your pupils measured in millimeters.