Guide
How to read your prescription
A prescription is a short grid of numbers. Here is what each one means, in the order you will see them.
The two eyes
Each row belongs to one eye. You may also see R and L, or RE and LE, instead.
- OD
- Right eye.
- OS
- Left eye.
The numbers
- SPH
- Sphere: the main strength, in dioptres. A minus sign means short-sighted, a plus sign long-sighted.
- CYL
- Cylinder: extra strength that corrects astigmatism. It is often blank.
- AXIS
- The direction of the cylinder, from 0 to 180 degrees. If there is a cylinder there is always an axis.
- ADD
- Addition: extra strength for reading, used with office lenses.
- PD
- Pupillary distance: the space between your pupils in millimetres, either one number (such as 63) or one per eye.
Entering it with us
- Choose your frame and pick Prescription lenses.
- Type the numbers exactly as written, with a minus or plus sign. Steps are 0.25. Leave blank anything your prescription does not list.
- Or upload a photo or PDF of the paper, or choose to send it later.
Good to know
This page explains the notation. It is not medical advice, and your optometrist’s prescription is always the authority.
If your prescription also lists prism or base, please contact us before ordering — the online form does not take those values.
No prescription yet? Visit our Dubai store for a free eye test.