See Things Differently - Understand Your Eyeglass Prescription
Have you ever wondered what is being said on the slip of paper you get from your optometrist? Well, we are not going to teach you how to decipher your doctor’s handwriting but being able to identify basic keywords can help you understand what the doctor has prescribed you for.
To start things of -
What OD and OS Mean
The first step to understanding your eyeglass prescription is knowing what "OD" and OS" mean. They are abbreviations for oculus dexter and oculus sinister, which are Latin terms for right eye and left eye.
Your eyeglass prescription also may have a column labelled "OU." This is the abbreviation for the Latin term oculus uterque, which means "both eyes."
Though the use of these abbreviated Latin terms is traditional for prescriptions written for eyeglasses, contact lenses and eye medicines, some doctors and clinics have opted to modernize their prescriptions and use RE (right eye) and LE (left eye) instead of OD and OS.
On your eyeglasses prescription, the information for your right eye (OD) comes before the information for your left eye (OS). Eye doctors write prescriptions this way because when they face you, they see your right eye on their left (first) and your left eye on their right (second).
Other Terms on Your Eyeglass Prescription
Your eyeglass prescription contains other terms and abbreviations as well:
The term "sphere" means that the correction for near-sightedness or farsightedness is "spherical," or equal in all meridians of the eye.
Should you have any other questions regarding your prescription please feel free to drop by and approach our friendly staff to have them clarified anytime! Find your nearest Nanyang Optical store here .