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Have you ever looked at your prescription and wondered what all the numbers, signs and words mean on it?
Read our guide below to make sense of your prescription:
When you look at your prescription you will notice the column on the left-hand side has a row for ‘OD’ and a row for ‘OS’. These correspond to your right and left eye, they are abbreviations of the Latin terms ‘oculus dexter’ and ‘oculus sinister’.
When you look at the rows the first heading will be ‘sphere’. The sphere is measured in dioptres and indicates the lens power required to correct your vision.
Next, you have the ‘cylinder’. This is the lens power required to correct any astigmatism. Astigmatism is a visual distortion that is caused by your cornea being an irregular shape.
The ‘axis’ is the next box on your prescription. This is the direction of any astigmatism and this is measured in degrees, between 1ᵒ and 180ᵒ. This is where the cylinder power is applied to oppose the effect of the oval-shaped cornea
The next box is the ‘prism’. This is measured in prism dioptres and is an indication of whether your eyes work well as a pair or not. The prism lenses provide the correction you need for eye alignment problems and will prevent you from developing headaches or double vision. It is indicated as either a decimal or fraction
Then there is the ‘base’. This is to tell the lab where to put the prism in your glasses. There are four main abbreviations used for the prism direction:
Base in and base out relate to the position of the prism in relation to the wearer’s nose, e.g. base in means towards the nose and base out means towards the ear.
Finally, there is a section labelled ‘Add’. You may only see a number here if you are 45 or over as this relates to presbyopia. This is the corrective power needed for reading and to see objects clearly at close distance on top of what is required already to see in the distance
With technology constantly evolving, there are surgical options that enable your prescription to be corrected as well as any astigmatism.
Get rid of the numbers on your prescription and come in for an initial consultation today to see what options are available to you.
Are you feeling unsure? Don’t worry, we’re here to advise you. Click here to get in touch with our expert team and we can answer your questions.
You are always at the centre of everything we do. We do not offer a one size fits all approach but rather customise every single treatment to your individual visual needs, so you’ll always get the best procedure for your eyes and your vision
Our surgeons are known the world over and are some of the best in the country, with over 30,000 completed surgeries between them. We treat many surgeons, doctors and anaesthetists who also refer their friends and family to us as they know they will be in safe hands with our expert surgeons.
We have spared no expense. Eye surgery requires perfect precision, that’s why we have invested in only the latest and most advanced technology. We are not tied into any particular company or manufacturer which means we have complete freedom to chose the best from the many options available.
Patients need to be able to trust us with their eyes. We are honest with our approach and offer the very best evidence-based treatment with your best interests always at heart. We pride ourselves on recruiting and retaining the best staff in the business to ensure that you are supported throughout every step of your journey.
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