Can you help me with my prescription?

Can you help me with my prescription?

Your prescription is called an Rx for short and it contains a series of values that an optometrist measures to correct your vision with corrective lenses – either eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Your prescription will come as a table with two rows and a series of columns. The top row is always the right eye and is called the OD. The second row is always the left eye and is called the OS.

Each row of the prescription has several sections Sphere (Sph), Cylinder (Cyl), Axis, and ADD. The Sphere values correct nearsighted and farsighted vision. The Cylinder and Axis correct astigmatism. Lastly, the ADD is for Progressive Vision where glasses provide magnifying power to aid in reading or up-close viewing.

Another important piece of information we need is the Pupil Distance. This measurement is needed to place the optical center on each lens, and without it your glasses will not work properly or painlessly with your eyes. If your prescription doesn't have it or your optometrist will not give it to you, please consult our tips for measuring it yourself.

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