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How to enter prescription


Your prescription (Rx) provides us with your doctor's recommendation for clear and comfortable vision. The numbers on your prescription tell us how strong the glasses need to be.

 

  SPH CYL AXIS ADD
O.D.  -3.25  -1.25  060  +2.50
O.S.  -3.50  DS    +2.50

 The top row (O.D.) is the information for your right eye, 

The second row (O.S.) is the information for your left eye.

 SPH = SPHERE - The amount of long or short sightedness. This value specifies the optical power of a lens.

  • It always has a plus (+) or a minus (-) sign in front or above it. The lens power for the distance correction will be minus while the correction for near distance and reading will be plus power.

  • If your eyes does not need correction, sphere will be filled as 0.00, Plano or P.

  • As you can see in the sample chart, the patient's right eye needs a power of -3.25 and left eye needs a power of -3.50. If the doctor put down P or Plano in this field, you can just choose PLANO when ordering. 
CYL = CYLINDER - Combination of Cyl and Asic will determine the measure of astigmatism.

  • There is always a plus (+) or minus (-) sign present in front of cyl

  • if there is a value under Cyl, there must be a value under Axis as well
     
  • If you do not need astigmatism corrention, the doctor will either leave no value under cylinder and axis, or  will write something like "SPH" OR "DS". In that case, leave it blank on our online form.

  • As you can see in the sample chart, the patient's right eye has a CYCLINDER NUMBER -1.25, the left eye does not have a CYCLINDER NUMBER, the doctore put down as "DS

 
AXIS - This combines with cylinder to determine the measurement of your astigmatism,

  • It will be a number between 1 and 180.

  • It may or may not be written with a degree 'o' symbol after the number.

  • The doctor sometimes put down three digit number(060) or x+two digit number(x 60),  Both means asix is 060

  • As you can see in the sample chart, the doctor put down a number "060" for the patient's right eye since it has CYCLINDER NUMBER, and he leaves it blank for the patient's left eye, since the left eye does not have a CYCLINDER NUMBER. In that case, you can just leave both the cylinder and axis field blank when ordering.  

ADD = ADD POWER  it represents how much power gets added to the distance Rx, for your reading-only Rx or for the bottom half of your bifocals/progressive lens. 

  • If you are buying reading glasses, please indicate in the comment field how much you ADD is.  

  • If you are buying bifocal or progressive glasses, then enter this figure into ADD field.

  • If you do not need a read-only glasses or multifocal glasses, you can just ignore this number.

            

It is common for doctors to write their prescription in slight different format, here is some common prescription abbreviations:

 D.S. or DS = diopters sphere (means you have sphere power only)

X = axis; X 60 means AXIS 090

Pl or pl or plo = PLANO; it's a placeholder for the number zero

O.U. or OU = both eyes

NV or NVO = near-vision or near-vision-only; your doctor is recommending "reading-only" glasses

-50 = -0.50

+100 = +1.00

If you still do not understand ANY part of your prescription, please contact us to ensure everything is entered correctly.