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30% off frames + free shipping.
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• Free shipping within the US and Canada • Excludes Multifocal, Progressive and Bi-Focal lenses • Single Vision value lens package included • Excludes contact lenses • Not eligible for safety or protective glasses & goggles
How-To Guides
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How to Read Your Eyeglasses Prescription

How to Read Your Eyeglasses Prescription

We know that trying to figure out all those acronyms and numbers that appear on eyewear prescriptions can be tricky. So we put together this guide to make it easier for you.
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What does a prescription look like?
While there are some variations, typically a glasses prescription looks like this:
Dr. Richard Williams, Jr
1234 Lower St. Bronx, NY USA
845-232-998
SPH
CYL
AXIS
PRISM
ADD
O.D.
-1.50
-1.00
100
O.S.
-1.00
-0.75
90
PD
61
REMARKS EXP.1/7/22
Martin Luther
What does everything on the prescription mean?
Jump to section:
O.D.
SPH
Axis
ADD
O.S.
CYL
PD
Prism
O.D.
O.D. (oculus dexter) refers to the correction needed for your right eye.
SPH
Short for Sphere. Denotes the lens power required for each eye. Minus (-)  indicates nearsightedness correction; Plus (+) for farsightedness.
Axis
Sometimes it appears as AXI. Only applies  to astigmatism corrections. Indicates the orientation (measured in degrees from 1 to 180) of the astigmatism.
ADD
Only appears if you have a multifocal (progressive/bifocal) prescription. Denotes the additional lens power necessary for near vision correction (the bottom part of the lens).
O.S.
O.S. (oculus sinister) refers to the left eye.
CYL
Short for Cylinder. Indicates the lens power used to correct astigmatism. As with SPH, plus is for near‑vision astigmatism, minus for those with trouble seeing far away.
PD
Your pupillary distance, which is the distance between your pupils in millimeters.
Prism
Prism correction is used when you experience double vision or vision displacement (seeing separate images of the same object).
How to add your prescription when buying glasses online.
After finding a frame you love from our huge selection, you can easily add your prescription in a number of ways.
  • Option 1: Fill it out online. Simply enter it manually according to the prescription you got from your eye specialist.
  • Option 2: Upload it. If you’ve got a digital copy of your prescription, you can upload the file on our site while making your order.
  • Option 3: Send later via email. You can also complete your order without providing a prescription and email it to us later. Just remember to include your order number, and we’ll handle the rest.
If you have a GlassesUSA.com account, you can use a saved prescription. And if you don’t have an account with us, you should definitely sign up! You’ll be able to save your prescriptions for fast shopping later on, plus you’ll get a great welcome offer!
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Need help?
If you’ve got any more questions, check out our helpful guide on all things prescription, plus you can always chat with us, email us, or explore our help center.
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