Trying to read an EYE PRESCRIPTION
can feel like you do need glasses. But it's just a simple shorthand
used between opticians and spectacle technicians to describe what
glasses or contact lenses to issue you.
At the top is the letterhead
with the name of the optometrist / eye clinic, with a contact number
and mailing address.
In the middle is the actual description of
your eye function.
Using our example above:
- Vision
Blue is the brand and color of lens.
- R
or od, and L or os, means Right eye and Left eye
respectively.
- BC
stands for base curve which is how rounded the lens will be.
- Dia
means the diameter of the lens i.e. how wide it is.
- Power
means how strong the lens will be able to bend light into your eye:
minus scatters light out of your eye pushing the focal point farther
back (used in myopia / nearsightedness where the
eyeball is too long), while plus lenses bend light in pulling the
focal point forward in the eye (used in hyperopia / farsightedness
where the eyeball is too short).
- Cyl
(cylinder) and Axis are two additional descriptions
for persons with Astigmatism as they need more specific glasses.
And that's all you need to describe a pair of glasses or contact
lenses.
