Make sure you are looking at the contact lens prescription, not your eyeglasses prescription. This is to ensure you understand exactly what kind of lenses you are going to get. The two tables may include similar acronyms, but the numbers may differ. [3] X Research source
The information about the lens strength must also be on the prescription as well as any special instructions or brand requirements. [4] X Trustworthy Source US Food and Drug Administration U. S. government agency responsible for promoting public health Go to source
Most terms on contact lens prescriptions are measured in diopters, a unit of refractive power that is equal to the reciprocal of the focal length in meters of a lens. Diopter is often abbreviated as D. [6] X Research source
For example, if the field under OD reads -3. 50 D, this indicates that you have 3. 5 diopters of nearsightedness in your right eye. If the field under OD reads +2. 00, this indicates that you have 2. 00 diopters of farsightedness in the right eye. [7] X Research source It is common for the correction to differ between the right and left eyes. If you find the term PL, which stands for Plano, it means the number is 0 and no correction is needed for that particular eye. [8] X Research source
This number typically ranges from 8 to 10. The lower the number in this column or row, the steeper the curvature of the lens will be. [9] X Research source
This is a very important measurement. If it is off, your lenses can cause irritation or abrasions on your eyes. [10] X Research source
Substitutions can be made for natural brands as well as private label lenses, which are those only sold by eye care professionals. [11] X Research source
If you are unsure exactly how to read your lens equation, ask your doctor to translate it for you.
This usually caused by an irregularly shaped cornea, but can also be caused by an irregularly shaped lens on the eye. A negative number here indicates your Myopia (nearsighted) astigmatism and a positive number means you have Hyperopia (farsighted) astigmatism. [12] X Research source Keep in mind that US and Asian lens prescriptions use minus cylinder notation, while European lens prescriptions use plus cylinder notation.
This number will be a higher number, such as 090 or 160, depending on how slanted your CYL needs to be. [14] X Research source
This term is measured in diopters. [15] X Research source
The special features available will differ depending on the brand you need. Ask your optometrist about your options based on your current condition. [16] X Research source
