Women’s Prescription Eyeglasses: What Those RX Numbers Mean
When you go to see your eye doctor, he may send you home with a prescription. This prescription will contain a lot of numbers that mean absolutely nothing unless you know how to read them. What do these numbers mean and how do they affect your eye wear choice? The more you know before going to make a purchase, the easier the decision will be. Once you learn how to read a prescription for eyeglasses, it is actually very easy to understand. The numbers are nothing more than a set of directions for the optician to use when making your glasses. Although prescriptions may vary slightly from doctor to doctor, all are written in the same universal language.
Knowing what those numbers mean in your prescription can help you make an informed choice when selecting women's RX glasses.
O.D. – Oculus Dexter is Latin for the right eye
O.S. – Oculus Sinister is Latin for the left eye
SPH – Spherical Refractive Error is the lens measurement needed for vision correction
CYL – This number refers to the amount of astigmatism found in the eye
AXIS – Tells the astigmatism direction
PD – Pupil distance is the measurement of the distance between the pupils
Prism – This number gives the lens adjustment needed for your eyes to work in conjunction
Base – Indicates the PRISM measurement direction
Now that you know the terms used in women’s prescription eyeglasses and what they mean, you may still be a little confused. You have to understand how these terms are related to getting the glasses you need. The O.D. and O.S. terms are just used to differentiate between the two eyes. By using these abbreviations, a doctor can write a single prescription on one page rather than two separate prescriptions, one for each eye. The other number tells about the prescription for each eye.
When the eyeball is unable to focus light in the appropriate manner, you will see a number written in the SPH column. This measurement augments either the lens concave or convex so the eye can focus this light correctly. Diopters are used for this measurement and the number tells the optician the amount needed to correct this distortion and give the person the best vision possible. Those who see a positive number here are farsighted those who have a negative number are nearsighted.
Astigmatism is a problem that many people suffer from. Thankfully vision correction devices can help. When you purchase women’s prescription eyeglasses to correct this problem, a number will be listed under CYL. This allows the retina to correctly direct light to the retina. In astigmatism, this light is off-center to varying degrees. Light enters your pupil and then hits your eye. The axis is the measurement which tells you at which degree this occurs and is only used for those who suffer from astigmatism. Both the cylinder and axis are needed for proper astigmatism correction.
Pupillary distance, or PD, is nothing more the the distance between the pupils. This is measured in millimeters and is used to ensure the the center of the pupil lines up with the center of each lenses. This measurement is necessary for the person wearing women’s prescription eyeglasses to get the most out of her corrective device.
Strabismus is an eye condition that affects a small percentage of the population. When one is suffering from strabismus, the eyes do not work together. One tends to stray when the other focuses on an object. To correct this problem, your doctor will offer a measurement for prism. This measurement is also taken in diopters and works to make the eyes work together as nature intends them. When a prism power is entered, you will also see a base. This alerts the optician to the direction of this power.
Each and every number is important when you are shopping for women’s prescription eyeglasses. Your optician will take these numbers and make a pair of custom glasses for you. As not two people are alike, neither are their prescriptions. These numbers ensure that your glasses are optically perfect for you. Other things may also be seen on this form, such as an expiration date or lens type. This will depend on your prescription and your doctor. Knowing what these numbers mean allows you to make an informed decision when shopping for women’s prescription eyeglasses.
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Eyewear Media Alert for July 2008
The July issue of Vanity Fair features the sexy and sophisticated Angelina Jolie wearing none other than a pair of Ray-Ban 3025 aviator sunglasses (Large Metal Aviator to be exact).
Denise Richards struts her stuff in a pair of Dolce Gabbana DG 6035 sunglasses in the June issue of US Magazine.
“Gisele’s Selects” Vogue Eyewear, which were featured on EXTRA, Tuesday, June 24, 2008, are the Vogue 2515SB sunglasses, Vogue 2519S sunglasses, Vogue 3636S sunglasses and Vogue 2504 eyeglasses.
Sable Water Optics swim goggles are featured on SlowTwitch.com and got rave reviews. These water goggles are available with and without a prescription inserted.
The June issue of Conde Nast Traveler features Miu Miu MU04G sunglasses as a bright way to protect your “peepers” over the summer.
The June issue of Elle Magazine features a plethora of bright frames for summer, including a bold pair of Ralph Lauren RL8001 sunglasses.
The May issue of Men’s Fitness Magazine features an editorial dedicated to the trendsetting Ray Ban RB 2140 Wayfarer sunglasses and its “forever cool” history.
The May issue of Interview Magazine featured Persol 2869 sunglasses in a very cool editorial that depicts the classic, yet unique character of the brand.
20/20 Magazine reported in their May issue that the Ray Ban aviator style RB 3025 sunglasses have been doing a little globetrotting. Singer Alicia Keys was spotted wearing them at the BET launch party in London and Kate Hudson was sporting them at the Regal Lincoln Theater in Miami (see our post Alicia Keys & Kate Hudson in Ray Ban Aviator Sunglasses).
Accessories magazine featured the Ralph Lauren 7018 sunglasses in a recent issue.
In their May issue, Eye Care Business reported that actress Tina Fey sported a pair of Persol 2873 sunglasses at the Screen Actors Guild awards.
Be sure to see our entire online sunglasses catalog.
Related pages and posts: Ray Ban Sunglasses, Persol Sunglasses, Ralph Lauren Sunglasses, Ray Ban Sunglasses Declared Retro Comeback of the Summer, Ray Ban Wayfarer – The Legend Renewed, Ray Ban, Prada & Persol Sunglasses on TV, Ralph Lauren Sunglasses spotlight.
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Celebrity Eyewear Sightings
Music Makers - Musicians in Marchon shades are R&B star Alicia Keys (1) in Karl Lagerfeld style KL108S, British singer Natasha Beddingfield (2) in Michael Kors Como, hip hop artist Akon (3) in Fendi FS477M and legendary rapper Snoop Dogg (4) in Sean Jean style 811S. . .
Eye Know - Lindsay Lohan (5) wears the Izod 358 frame from ClearVision Optical in the movie “I Know Who Killed Me,” which is now available on DVD . . .
Miami Heat - Stars from “CSI: Miami” wearing Sama Eyewear are Eve La Rue (6) in Loree Rodkin Eye Couture Scarlet and Jonathan Togo (7) in Badgley Mischka Couture Eyewear Arthur . . .
Guilded Eyes - ILORI was at the Luxury Lounge during the recent Screen Actors Guild Awards. Scooping up limited edition shades are Tina Fey (8) star of the NBC hit comedy “30 Rock” in Persol PO 2873, comedian Martin Lawrence (9) in Miu Miu MU 13G, Jane Krakowski (10), also of “30 Rock,” in Persol PO 2866 and Laura Prepon (11) of the ABC drama “October Road” in Dolce & Gabbana DG 4025.
Bonus – Ever curious about those big, black frames that Drew Carey wears? Check out the Shuron Freeway eyeglasses frames in ebony.
Related posts and pages: Gucci sunglasses, Christian Dior sunglasses, Calvin Klein sunglasses, Sunglasses Catalog, Hot Sunglasses for 2008 – Oversized is In!
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