What Does My Glasses Prescription Mean?

Your glasses prescription is a set of numbers prescribed by your Optometrist that tells Optical Dispensers exactly what type of lens power you need to correct your vision. Learn how to understand the numbers and improve your vision today.

Ever looked at your glasses prescription and thought, “Is this even English?” You’re not alone! All those numbers and abbreviations from your Optometrist can look like a foreign language.

Understanding your prescription is crucial to getting the right prescription lenses. If you get it wrong, you could end up squinting through the wrong lenses and making a very expensive mistake.

In this guide, we’ll explain each part of your prescription glasses and clarify what it all means. Let’s clear up the confusion and bring your eyesight into focus!

Key Takeaways:

• Your prescription is unique to you - don’t use someone else’s.

• Glasses and contact lens prescriptions aren’t the same thing.

• You prescription can change over time, so keep it up to date to achieve the best vision.

• Look after your Prescription Safeties and they’ll look after your eyes.

If you’re looking for prescription safety glasses, check out SafeStyle - vision correction and certified protection in one epic package!

INDEX

Decoding Your Glasses Prescription

Different Types of Vision Problems and Their Prescription Indicators

Glasses Prescription vs. Contact Lens Prescription

Choose SafeStyle Prescription Safety Glasses

Find the Perfect Lenses for You

Decoding Your Glasses Prescription

First things first, let’s break down what the numbers mean on your script:

Sphere (SPH)

This shows the power of the lens required to correct the blur caused by refractive error in your eyesight.

• Negative (-) values: You're nearsighted (myopic). Generally, your vision is clear up close, and distant objects are blurry.

• Positive (+) values: You're farsighted (hyperopic). Generally, your distance vision is clear and close-up objects are difficult to focus.

The unit of measurement here is diopters (D). The further from zero, the greater the power of the prescription. For example:

• -1.00 D: Mild Myopic (nearsightedness)

• -4.00 D: More significant Myopic (nearsightedness)

Cylinder (CYL) and Axis

These are all about correcting astigmatism, which occurs when the eyes' cornea or lens is shaped is more like a rugby ball than a soccer ball, causing blurred vision.

• CYL: The lens power needed to fix astigmatism. If there's no number here, lucky you - no astigmatism!

• Axis: It’s represented by a value ranging from 0 to 180 degrees, indicating the direction of the astigmatism correction.

For example, a CYL of -1.25 and an Axis of 90 means you've got some astigmatism correction oriented vertically.

Add (Addition)

This one's for those dealing with presbyopia (a change that mostly happens to us after 40, resulting in difficulty focusing on close objects). It indicates the additional power for reading glasses, added onto the basic prescription, usually ranging from +0.75 to +3.00 D.

Prism

Occasionally, prescriptions include prism correction to address the muscular imbalance between the eyes that causes double vision or eye strain. The prism is measured in diopters, and the prism base indicates the direction (up, down, in, or out) of the prism.

Pupillary Distance (PD)

This is the measurement between the centres of your pupils, crucial for ensuring your prescription glasses are centred correctly. PD can be:

• Single PD: One number for Binocular (e.g., 62 mm) for both eyes.

• Dual PD: Two numbers for Monocular (e.g., 31/33 mm) representing each eye individually.

SafeStyle’s got your back with a ripper range of Prescription Safety Glasses ticking both the safety and vision correction boxes in one go!

Whether you’re after Single Vision lenses online or need Progressive, Bifocal, or Vocational options from a local stockist, we’ve got you covered.

SafeStyle’s Prescription lineup includes the Fusions, Cruisers, Classics and Fusions XL frames, available in epic frame colours like black, matte black, clear, graphite, blue, and pink.

Different Types of Vision Problems and Their Prescription Indicators

Myopia (Nearsightedness)

If your SPH (Sphere) number is negative, you’ll struggle to see things far away. The closer you are, the clearer it gets.

Myopia happens when the length of the eyeball is too long or the Cornea is too curved, which causes light to focus in front of the retina.

It’s one of the most common vision issues, affecting an estimated 30% of the population.

Hyperopia (Farsightedness)

A positive SPH number means you have hyperopia, which requires more eye effort to keep the image clear.

Basically, the further away it is, the easier and clearer the image will be. Close-up tasks like reading are much harder.

This happens when the eyeball is too short or the cornea lacks curvature, causing light to focus behind the retina. Some people can compensate by straining their eyes, but this is not good for an extended length of time, as you'll likely get headaches and eye fatigue.

This is generally under diagnosed, and people just compensate with more effort!

Astigmatism

Astigmatism affects approximately 1 in 3 people, making it a common visual impairment. If your prescription includes a CYL (Cylinder) and Axis value, you have astigmatism, meaning your eye's cornea or lens is irregularly shaped.

This uneven curvature causes light to scatter rather than focus properly, leading to blurry or distorted vision at all distances. Astigmatism can be mild or severe and often accompanies myopia or hyperopia.

Presbyopia

Near vision's age-related decline is called presbyopia, which typically begins around age 40. If your prescription has an ADD (Addition) value, it means you need extra magnification for reading or close work. The eye's lens loses flexibility with age, making it difficult to focus on close objects. Many people turn to reading glasses or multifocal lenses to compensate.

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Glasses Prescription vs. Contact Lens Prescription

Glasses and contact lens prescriptions might seem similar, but they are not interchangeable. Here’s why:

• Positioning Matters: Glasses sit about 12 to 14 mm away from your eyes, while contacts rest directly on the cornea, requiring different power adjustments

• Additional Measurements: Contact lens prescriptions include:

• Base Curve (BC): Ensures the lens sits comfortably on your eye.

• Diameter (DIA): Determines the overall lens size for proper coverage.

• Fit is Everything: Poorly fitted contacts can cause blurry vision, discomfort, dryness, and even infections.

Pro Tip: Always have a separate contact lens fitting exam before ordering lenses!

Choose SafeStyle Prescription Safety Glasses

Whether you're working hard on the job or just mowing the lawn at home, our prescription safety glasses offer the best of both worlds - eye protection and crystal-clear vision correction.

Why choose SafeStyle?

• Certified Safety: All SafeStyle pairs meet AS/NZS 1337.6 standards.

• Stylish Designs: Who says safety glasses have to be ugly and uncomfortable?

• Convenient Shopping: You can order Single Vision SafeStyle pairs online or visit SafeStyle, which stocks Optometrists for all of your vision needs, including progressive, bifocal, and single-vision options, as well as some extra expertise.

SafeStyle prescription safety glasses offer elite eye protection 'from the worksite to the weekend’. 

We want you to love wearing your prescription safety glasses, which means they need to look and feel good.

SafeStyle has changed the game when it comes to stylish safety glasses, with styles that suit everyone!

Check out SafeStyle’s full prescription range and choose your frame style, frame colour, and lens type.

Find the Perfect Lenses for You

Cracking the code on what your eye prescription means doesn’t have to be a headache. With this guide, you’re now armed with the knowledge to understand exactly what your prescription means and you’re all set to make an informed choice.

Your vision is incredibly important, so give it the love and protection it deserves. See clearly, stay safe, and look good!