Your Prescription, Explained

Prescriptions are full of numbers and abbreviations that mean nothing until someone explains them. Here's what's actually on yours.

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01 / SPHERE (SPH)

Sphere (SPH):

Indicates whether you're nearsighted or farsighted. A minus number means you're nearsighted; a plus number means you're farsighted.

02 / CYLINDER & AXIS

Cylinder & Axis

These indicate astigmatism, a different type of prescription entirely. If you don't have astigmatism, this part of your prescription will be blank, or marked with the letters "SPH," meaning you only have the sphere component.

03 / ADD

Add

This appears if you need a different prescription for reading or computer work.

If your prescription looks unfamiliar or you're not sure which lens type is right for your day-to-day life, ask us, that's a normal question, not a silly one.

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