· Learn the meanings of OD and OS in eye care, such as right eye, left eye, and Doctor of Optometry. Find out how to read your eyeglasses, contact lens, and lens prescriptions with common abbreviations. · OD and OS are Latin terms for right eye and left eye, respectively. Learn the meaning of other common eye abbreviations and terms on your prescription, such as SPH, CYL, AXIS, and more. · Learn how to read your eye prescription step by step. Understand OD, OS, SPH, CYL, AXIS, ADD, and PD so you can buy prescription glasses confidently online or in store. The abbreviations OD and OS that may be included with corrective eyewear prescriptions stand for “oculus dexter” and “oculus sinister.” In other words, this is Latin for “right eye” and “left eye,” respectively. If you need vision correction following an eye exam, your ophthalmologist or optometrist will let you know if you’re nearsighted or farsighted. They may even tell you that you have an astigmatism.With any diagnosis, you’ll be given a prescription for corrective eyewear. Your prescription will have a number of abbreviated terms such as:•OD•OS•SPHSee full list on healthline.comStep one of understanding the prescription from your eye doctor is knowing OD and OS. These are simply abbreviations for Latin terms:•OD is an abbreviation for “oculus dexter” which is Latin for “right eye.”•OS is an abbreviation for “oculus sinister” which is Latin for “left eye.”Your prescription might also have a column for OU, which is an abbreviation for “oculus uterque,” Latin for “both eyes.”See full list on healthline.comSPHSPH is an abbreviation of “sphere” which indicates the power of the lens your doctor is prescribing to correct your vision. If you’re nearsighted (myopia), the number will have a minus sign (-). If you’re farsighted (hyperopia), the number will have a plus sign (+).CYLCYL is an abbreviation of “cylinder” which indicates the lens power your doctor is prescribing to correct your astigmatism. If there’s no number in this column, then your doctor hasn’t found an astigmatism or your astigmatism does not need to be corrected.AxisAxis is a number from 1 to 180. If your doctor has included cylinder power, there will also be an axis value to indicate positioning. Axis is measured in degrees and refers to where the astigmatism is located on the cornea.See full list on healthline.comWhen looking at your eyeglass prescription, you might see specific lens recommendations that your doctor has included. These are typically optional and may incur additional charges:•Photochromic lenses.Also referred to as variable tint lenses and light-adaptive lenses, this makes the lenses automatically darken when exposed to sunlight.•Anti-reflective coating.Also called AR coating or anti-glare coating, this coating reduces reflections so more light passes through the lenses.•Progressive lenses.These are multifocal lenses with no lines.See full list on healthline.comWhile your eyeglass prescription has all the information necessary for you to buy eyeglasses, it doesn’t have information necessary for purchasing contact lenses.This information includes:•lens diameter•curve of the back surface of the contact lens•lens manufacturer and brand nameYour doctor will also sometimes adjust the amount of corrective power between glasses and contact lenses based on the distance the lens will be from the eye. Glasses are about 12 millimeters (mm) away from the surface of the eye while contact lenses are directly on the surface of the eye.See full list on healthline.comDepending on your specific situation — currently using corrective eyewear, age, risk factors, and more — most eye doctors suggest having a comprehensive eye examination every year or two.At that time, if necessary, your doctor will provide a prescription for you to use when purchasing eyewear. This prescription can appear confusing until you know the meaning of abbreviations such as OS, OD, and CYL.See full list on healthline.comMar 20, 2024 · Learn how to read your eye prescription and what the abbreviations OD and OS mean. Find out how your prescription reveals your eye health, vision problems and lens options. · The right eye (OD) is nearsighted with no astigmatism and has a +2.00 ADD for reading. The left eye (OS) is also nearsighted with mild astigmatism (-0.50 at 180°) and the same +2.00 ADD for near vision. It’s important to know that an eyeglass prescription is not the same as a contact lens prescription. · This article explains ODvs. OS, what the terms stand for, where you find them on your prescription, and why it all matters. We’ll also cover some other commonly used eye prescription abbreviations and include a quick summary table that will make it easier for you to interpret your vision report. · Learn how to read your eye prescription and what the abbreviations OD and OS mean. Find out how your prescription reveals your eye health, vision problems and lens options. · The right eye (OD) is nearsighted with no astigmatism and has a +2.00 ADD for reading. The left eye (OS) is also nearsighted with mild astigmatism (-0.50 at 180°) and the same +2.00 ADD for near vision. It’s important to know that an eyeglass prescription is not the same as a contact lens prescription. · This article explains ODvs. OS, what the terms stand for, where you find them on your prescription, and why it all matters. We’ll also cover some other commonly used eye prescription abbreviations and include a quick summary table that will make it easier for you to interpret your vision report.
