Your prescription gives us, your Opticians or Doctors recommendation for clear and comfortable vision. While you likely know whether youre nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism, determining that from your prescription slip is another thing entirely. Is 20/20 or 6 by 6 vision perfect eyesight? The cylinder is the indication of the condition, astigmatism, in which the cornea is shaped irregularly causing distorted or blurred vision. Medically Reviewed by Dr. Melody Huang, O.D. This is the amount of prismatic power, measured in prism diopters ("p.d." Sphere means the spherical correction where the meridians of the human eye are equal. In SPH, the minus sign is the indication of nearsightedness (far away objects are blurred). If nothing appears in this column, either you have no astigmatism, or your astigmatism is so slight that it is not really necessary to correct it with your eyeglass lenses. If you require spectacles for intermediate use include the INTER ADD in the ADD box when ordering and also advise us in the additional info box that you require these for intermediate use. Axis is the angle in which the cylinder correction should be. The value may be as high as 10 and may go up in steps of or 1 Prism Dioptres. They can also be written anywhere on the prescription. In eye prescription, what does CYL means? It is the distance from the centre of one pupil to the centre of the other pupil measured in mm (ranges from 50 to 70mm). The number 90 corresponds to the vertical meridian of the eye, and the number 180 corresponds to the horizontal meridian. Cylinder ( CYL) Cylinder indicates the amount of lens power for astigmatism. The CYL stands for Cylinder. It does not matter whether the correction is of farsightedness or nearsightedness; it is always in spherical form. Sphere: The sphere (SPH) on your prescription indicates the lens power you need to see clearly. All Rights Reserved. Different Prescriptions and How to Enter Your Values On Our Site. Free Express Shipping and 30-Day Returns Worldwide. EyeBuyDirect has a wide variety of budget frames starting at $6. You can measure your current frame from screw to screw, which is already a perfect fit for you . 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. This number is followed by the base direction, or thickest edge, of the prism. An astigmatism is where the eye is shaped slightly like a rugby ball or referred to as toric, not a perfect sphere like a football. It will be a number between 1 and 180. SPH stands for spherical power and describes the degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness. & Worries-free! Knowing what they mean will also help you more easily discuss your prescription with your eye care professional. You can view our cookie policy here. In the context of an eye prescription, OD means right eye and OS means left eye. The AXIS is only present if there is a value in the CYL box, the AXIS tells us where the astigmatism is on your eye. These links allow you to toggle the form so that it appears the same as the hard copy of your prescription, some common examples are shown below. The values concerning the correction your right eye may be indicated as "RE", "Right", "Right Eye" or "OD" which is an abbreviation for Oculus Dexter, the Latin term for "Right Eye". Do a "deep search" instead. What does SPH mean for glasses? What If My Prescription Does Not Follow The Format on Your Website? However, if you have a CYL value, you must have a corresponding Axis value. See, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. SPH is a '+' or '-' value in 0.25 steps and is required to correct your nearsightedness (-) or farsightedness (+). They may mention that you have either of the following: They probably gave you an eyeglasses prescription that looks something like this: These are all crucial pieces of information when getting your eyewear. Vision Center is funded by our readers. In its simplest form, a prescription for glasses will feature a table with two rows and three columns. The prism Rx will have two values: PRISM & BASE. This means that the eyeball is spherical and has no oblongedness, and consequently has no Cylinder or Axis values. This number always has a (+) sign. But keep in mind, all eyewear is different, so its just a general reference. How to Measure your PD(Pupillary Distance), Choosing the Best Frames for Progressives, How to Replace Lenses in a Full-Rim Frame, How to Replace Lenses in a Half-Rim Frame. 2000-2023 AAV Media, LLC. E.g. The measurement is Prism Dioptre. You can simply select the values that match your prescription. Do not worry about entering your prescription details online. Consequently, 24 shown by the red line on the Continue Reading 10 Sponsored by Forbes Advisor We always recommend attaching a copy of your prescription to the order, or fax this through or email it separately, we will double check the prescription this end to ensure the correct lenses are produced. 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? OD and OS are abbreviations of the Latin words oculus dexter and oculus sinister, respectively. There is no astigmatism correction for this eye, so no cylinder power or axis is noted. The CYL and AXIS compensate for an astigmatism. The left eye (OS) is being prescribed -1.00 D sphere for myopia plus -0.50 D cylinder for the correction of astigmatism. The sphere power is the base power of a lens which is 360 degrees around the lens. Some eyeglass prescriptions may require a PD (pupillary distance) measurement. The 20/20 vision is the correct vision for normal eyes. The term "sphere" means that the correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness is "spherical," or equal in all meridians of the eye. The type of Rx glasses may be noted on a prescription, such as DV [Distance Vision/nearsightedness] and NV [Near Vision/reading]. At first glance, the details may seem quite confusing. This extra power will ALWAYS be the same for each eye and may only appear once on your prescription but it is understood to be meant for both eyes. I agree to Olives, How to Know If You Need Glasses? i'm considering online since I need 1.74 hi-index and that can run expensive even in online stores, and a lot of local shops around me only offer up to 1.67. why isn't online a good idea? ; values are usually entered with computer, but may be handwritten by doctor. The Axis in your prescription is usually measured from 1 to 180. The ADD value is also referred to as a "Near Addition" or "Reading Addition". The doctor wrote "SPH" in the Cylinder column. The sphere is measured in Dioptres, 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. SPH is a + or - value in 0.25 steps and is required to correct your nearsightedness (-) or farsightedness (+). For multi-focal glasses, as well as reading and computer glasses, your Rx will include an ADD or NV value. These will usually be specific types of corrective lens recommendations such as multifocal lenses, progressives, anti-reflective coating, photochromatic, or transition lenses. Contact us, Mon. If the number is written, this is the indication of the usage of eye contact. When the shape of the human eye cornea changes, the large changes in the measurement of the axis is seen though, this is rare. The axis is the astigmatism orientation. On the other hand, in the farsightedness, the person can see those objects clearly which are far but near object seems blurry. This box maybe empty or have a plus or a minus value in it. [+/-Cylinder].axis [some angle between 0 and 180 degrees]. The axis is defined with a number from 1 to 180. This is the most common format with clearly printed fields for OD, OS, SPH, CYL, etc. It is the amount of magnification required to "ADD" to the "SPH" value of your "Distance" prescription to correct your near vision. So what's an astigmatism? ODstands for oculus dexter, the Latin term for right eye., OS is your left eye. Your optician may or may not write DS (Dioptres Sphere) in the CYL box. If you have an astigmatism, indicated by an axis and cylinder number on your prescription, it means that the front of your eye is irregularly shaped. They may also enter an abbreviation "DS" (Dioptre Spheres). They may also enter an abbreviation "DS" (Dioptre Spheres) or "SPH" (Sphere) indicating that the correction required is spherical only. Only one meridian will be adjusted to fix your astigmatism. What is CYL in glasses? Sphere, sometimes abbreviated as SPH, indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. Click here if your prescription looks different to this form. like in the example above, you can toggle the form to enable you to enter an inter add as below; Balance- No values are required. Most online retailers ask you to read and input your prescription into their order form, but if you dont know how to read your prescription, that process can get complicated. By Email or 0330 165 6900, Site Map On your eyeglasses prescription, the information for your right eye (OD) comes before the information for your left eye (OS). How can I stop my glasses from slipping down my nose? What does SPH mean for glasses? The CYL basically represents the main differences in the weakest as well as greatest eye powers which are usually separated by degrees (90). But don't worry, after reading this page you'll understand what all the details mean and you'll know how to read your glasses prescription correctly. The number under 'cylinder' provides the lens power needed to correct the astigmatism. Most reputable online suppliers like Spex4Less will offer a variety of forms for you to enter your prescription details in to. Learn about LASIK success rates and side effects, Learn about the costs associated with LASIK, Benefits of LASIK for astigmatism correction, How to find vision insurance that covers LASIK, Compare PRK and LASIK procedures and results, 14 tips for protecting your vision after LASIK. 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. Base is the direction of a PRISM value and will only be supplied if the prescription has a PRISM value. or a superscript triangle when written freehand), prescribed to compensate for eye alignment problems. 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. A number over 5 is generally considered to be on the stronger side. Do you know the meaning of the Sphere, Cylinder and Axis? Plano, Infinity, 0.00- Basically 0.00 or no correction is required for that part of the prescription. If the optometrist wrote "DS" or "Sph" or "Spherical" in the Cylinder space, it indicates no correction and should be entered as 0 on the order form. In the third part, we will show you what the Axis in glasses is. Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. Free Shipping Worldwide on Orders Over $69, Full Explanations: Sphere, Cylinder and Axis in Glasses. In the right eye, the prism is base down (BD); in the left eye, it's base up (BU). Most values range from 0.00 to +/- 20.00 and go up in steps of 0.25. What does sphere cylinder and axis mean? What does "SPH" appearing under Cylinder on my prescription mean? It indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct astigmatism, measured in diopters. What does Axis mean for glasses? Astigmatism correction is not spherical. Warby Parker has stylish, high-quality frames at affordable prices. This indicates the amount of lens power, measured in diopters (D), prescribed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness.