Understanding your eyeglass prescription can be confusing, but it's essential for getting the right lenses to correct your vision. Here, we'll break down the key elements of your prescription:
- Distance Vision (D.V.) and Near Vision (N.V.): Your prescription may include separate values for distance and near vision. D.V. is used for activities like driving, while N.V. is for reading and close-up tasks. If N.V. is not mentioned, your prescription is likely for distance vision only.
- Right Eye (O.D.) and Left Eye (O.S.): Your prescription will have separate values for your right (O.D.) and left (O.S.) eyes. The measurements for each eye may differ.
- Sphere (SPH): The Sphere (SPH) indicates the lens power you need to correct nearsightedness (negative values) or farsightedness (positive values). A higher SPH value means a stronger prescription.
- Cylinder (CYL): The Cylinder (CYL) value is used to correct astigmatism. It shows the amount of lens power needed to correct the astigmatism, and the sign (+ or -) indicates the orientation.
- Axis: The Axis is a number between 0 and 180 that accompanies the CYL value. It denotes the meridian angle where the CYL correction is applied. It's crucial for the correct positioning of astigmatism correction.
- Addition (Near) ADD: The Addition (ADD) value is used for reading glasses, bifocals, or progressive lenses. It represents the additional magnifying power added to the lower part of the lens for close-up tasks.
- Pupillary Distance (P.D.): The Pupillary Distance (PD) is the measurement between the centers of your pupils. It ensures that the optical centers of your lenses align with your eyes for clear vision. Your PD may be a single number (e.g., 64 mm) or two values for each eye (e.g., 32/32 mm).