How Do I Read My Glasses Prescription?

A great question that, as an optometrist, I get all the time. OD (Oculus Dexter in latin) refers to the right eye, and OS (Oculus Sinister in latin) refers to the left eye. The “sphere” refers to whether you’re “nearsighted” (myopic), or “farsighted” (hyperopic). The cylinder and axis go together to describe the amount and location of your astigmatism, and the “add” refers to the amount of magnification you may require for near work. Prescribing these numbers correctly is the job of your optometrist to make your vision clear and comfortable, and reading these numbers correctly is the job of your optician so that you love your glasses!