What do the numbers on an eye test prescription mean?

In general, the further away from zero the number on your prescription, the worse your eyesight and the more vision correction (stronger prescription) you need. A “plus” (+) sign in front of the number means you are farsighted, and a “minus” (-) sign means you are nearsighted.

What are the 3 numbers on eye prescription?

The three main measurements on your contact lenses are power, base curve, and diameter.
  • Base Curve. The base curve of the lens is marked as BC on most contact lens prescriptions. …
  • The Diameter. The diameter of the lens is marked as DIA. …
  • Power. …
  • Glasses and contacts scripts are not the same.

What does eye prescription 1.75 mean?

A -1.75 eyewear prescription essentially signifies that you need some additional power to see some objects that are further away. Specifically, we are talking about things like watching television or objects or people at a distance when you are driving.

How do you read a reading glasses prescription?

To find the right reading glasses, add the sphere number to the ADD number. In the above example, this would be -2.00 and +1.75 with the result -0.25. The cylinder measurement comes next, followed by the axis measurement. So for the right eye, the correct number is –0.25 -0.50 x 180.

What is normal eye axis?

The axis number helps your eye care provider to know the direction in which they should position a cylindrical power in the lenses of your glass. The number may be between 1 to 180, where 90 represents the vertical position while 180 represents the horizontal position.

What eye grade is considered high?

Refractive errors like nearsightedness and farsightedness are measured in units called diopters. The term “high myopia” is generally used to describe a refractive measurement of -6.00 diopters or higher. For reference, mild nearsightedness usually falls between -0.25 and -3.00 diopters.

Are 1.75 reading glasses strong?

If you can read this, 2.00 is the proper strength for you. If you can read this, 1.75 is the proper strength for you. If you can read this, 1.50 is the proper strength for you.

What does 160 axis mean in eye prescription?

The axis number on your prescription tells your optician in which direction they must position any cylindrical power in your lenses (required for people with astigmatism). This number shows the orientation or angle in degrees from 1 to 180.

What does SPH and CYL mean?

Here is a simple guide to it means: Sph (sphere) represents how long or short sighted you are. This can be positive (+) for long sight or negative (-) for short sight. The higher the number, the stronger your lens. Cyl (cylinder) represents the amount of astigmatism present.

What is the normal range of CYL and SPH?

An SPH number indicates if you are farsighted or nearsighted. If the SPH value is 0.00, or noted by Plano, Pl, or an infinity sign, you do not have a vision distance problem. Typical SPH numbers range between 0.00 and +/- 20.00.

What does axis 90 mean on eye prescription?

The axis indicates the angle (in degrees) between the two meridians of an astigmatic eye. The axis is defined with a number from 1 to 180. The number 90 corresponds to the vertical meridian of the eye, and the number 180 corresponds to the horizontal meridian.

What does SPH mean?

Sphere
Sphere (SPH)

The sphere column is often abbreviated as SPH. This is the lens power needed to fix your vision. A minus sign (₋) next to the number means nearsightedness (you see better up close and need distance correction) and a plus sign (₊) is farsightedness (you see better far away and need near correction).

What does 0.75 eye prescription mean?

This second number, -0.75, indicates the person has an astigmatism, which is a distortion in the shape of the cornea that causes blurred vision. Not everyone has astigmatism, of course, so if the number wasn’t there, you’d see some letters – DS or SPH – to indicate that there is no astigmatism.

What does a high axis mean?

Answer: Axis is part of your prescription, and tells an optometrist in which direction they must position any cylindrical power in your lenses (required for astigmatism). … A higher number for the axis does not mean that your prescription is stronger – it simply describes the position of the astigmatism.

What does 150 axis mean in eye prescription?

The axis for both eyes falls between 150 and 180, so this prescription would correct “with-the-rule astigmatism,” (see sidebar, above) meaning the vertical meridian of each cornea is steeper than the horizontal meridians. Meridians and Rx’s.

What is Prism on glasses?

Prism correction is used in eyeglasses for some people with diplopia, or double vision. This is when someone sees two separate images of one object. The prism helps align the two images, so that only one image is seen.

What does sphere +0.25 mean?

For example, if you have a sphere of -0.25, your vision is minimally affected. On the other hand, if your prescription starts at -5.00, you most likely have difficulty seeing at a distance without glasses. If the sphere indicates “Pl” or “Plano” for both eyes, it means that you do not suffer from myopia or hyperopia.

What is cyl and axis in eye prescription?

In the context of an eye prescription. ‘Sphere’ is basically a measure of how strong your prescription needs to be. The number marked ‘axis’ describes the orientation of astigmatism. It will be a number between 1 and 180. The number under ‘cylinder’ provides the lens power needed to correct the astigmatism.