To the untrained eye, eyeglasses prescriptions seem a bit perplexing. Eye doctors use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols to communicate a person’s eye care needs, each of which corresponds to a specific facet of vision issues. Understanding your prescription can help you stay involved in your eye care and ensure your vision is sound.

OD, OS, & OU

Latin plays a substantial role in eyeglasses prescriptions. OD stands for oculus dexter, which means the right eye. Conversely, OS refers to oculus sinister, which means the left eye. When OU, or oculi uterque, appears on a prescription, it’s referring to both eyes. This is often the case when a person suffers from astigmatism. 

Additional Abbreviations Associated With Eyeglasses

If your glasses are for reading alone, you might see SVN, or single vision near. Single vision distance is abbreviated as SVD, and is associated with glasses used to see far away. To ensure that glasses are comfortable while they’re being worn, eye doctors must also measure pupillary distance, which is abbreviated as PD. Ensuring PD is correct is important aspect of being fitted for corrective eyeglasses.

Eyeglass Prescription Numbers & Symbols

Both the right and left eye abbreviations are followed by numbers accompanied by a plus or minus sign. The first number listed describes the sphere’s nearsightedness or farsightedness. In this case, the number refers to the severity of the issue, the minus sign means a negative lens is needed to correct nearsightedness, and a plus sign refers to a positive lens to correct farsightedness. The next number is the cylinder, which is used to describe astigmatism. There may also be an ADD number, which is used for reading glasses. 

If you need an updated eyeglasses prescription, Dalton Optometry is here to assist you. Led by Dr. Charles Smith, this clinic provides comprehensive eye exams to help you understand your prescription. They can also diagnose and treat other eye conditions, including screenings for glaucoma and diabetic eye conditions, as well as visual blind spot testing. They also offer eyeglass repair so you’ll never be without your trust glasses. Schedule an appointment by calling (706) 278-6113 or visit the website to learn more about optical services.