What Does Your Prescription Mean

After your eye exam you’re given a sheet of paper with a heck of a lot of numbers. Yay??? That piece of paper actually reveals all sorts of information about your eyes.

There’s a few parts to your prescription.

  1. Nearsighted (Myopia) and/or Farsighted (Hyperopia)

    A nearsighted prescription will be indicated by a (-) while a farsighted prescription is indicated by a (+). This tells us how much power you would need to bring the focus on the back of your eye.

  2. Astigmatism (Cylinder)

    When the dome shaped structure in front of the eye (Cornea) is not perfectly round, it creates a 2nd focus. This can be corrected to create a single image by adding a cylinder power to the lens.

  3. Axis

    The axis gives the orientation of the astigmatism.

  4. Add power

    For those us, by us I mean you, who have the pleasure of having “maturing” eyes or short arm syndrome, an add power will help with reading.

  5. Prism

    Prism(s) are used to align the eye. So lets say you have an eye that wonders, pulls to one side, and/or higher than the other. This can result to headaches, eye fatigue, and double vision. Prism lenses will help keep them straight, relaxed, and allow you to see a single image.

Not all glasses are created equal. Relying on your optician’s experience, expertise, and quality products plays a huge roll in getting the best pair of glasses that can provided excellent vision. So when the time comes, shop reputation, shop reliability, shop proficiency, and shop quality.