How to Read Eye Prescription

Understanding an eyeglass prescription is essential for selecting the appropriate eyewear that meets individual vision needs. An eyeglass prescription typically consists of several key components, each denoting specific measurements and requirements for corrective lenses.

OD and OS abbreviations used on eyeglass prescriptions to indicate which eye the information refers to

• OD stands for Oculus Dexter, which is Latin for right eye.
• OS stands for Oculus Sinister, which is Latin for left eye. 

SPH(Sphere)

On your eyeglass prescription, "SPH" stands for Sphere. It indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia).

• A negative (-) sign before the SPH value means you are nearsighted. This mean you see close objects clearly, but distant objects appear blurry.
• A positive (+) sign (or no sign) before the SPH value means you are farsighted. You see distant objects clearly, but close objects appear blurry.

CYL( Cylinder) and Axis

Cylinder (CYL) on your prescription indicates the amount of lens power needed to correct astigmatism.Astigmatism is a common vision condition where the eye's cornea or lens isn't perfectly curved. This causes blurry or distorted vision at all distance.

• Negative (-) usually means you have nearsightedness with astigmatism.
• Positive (+) usually means you have farsightedness with astigmatism.

         Axis the curvature of your cornea. It is generally a number.

If CYL and Axis is blank, it mean you don't have astigmatism.