Your first visit to the ophthalmologist can leave you reeling with terms you have never heard before. Your eye problem may be diagnosed as nearsighted, farsighted or worse still, astigmatism.
Abbreviations on your prescription:
It won’t take you long to figure out abbreviations that span your prescription- OS,OD, SPH and CYL.
The ophthalmologist jots down certain numbers under OS and OD. OS refers to the left eye and is a Latin abbreviation- ‘oculus sinister’. Similarly, OD is the right eye and in Latin stands for ‘oculus dextrus’. OU on the prescription involves both the eyes.
Examine the number below. The correction depends on how far the number is from zero- the further away more the correction. The number will have a + or – sign in front. The plus sign means indicates farsightedness while the – sign means nearsightedness. The unit expressing these numbers is ‘diopter’ and goes by the abbreviation of D.
The ophthalmologist writes OD (right eye) before OS (left eye). The modern ophthalmologist is switching to RE (right eye) and LE (left eye) to make things simpler.
Nearsightedness can vary from small amounts (-1.00) to large (-4.25). Similarly, farsightedness is in small amounts (+1.00) or in large amounts (+ 5.00). The greater the number, the more corrective measures you need.
SPH stands for sphere and indicates that the treatment that you need for farsightedness or nearsightedness; in either of the eyes is spherical or same for both of them.
CYL stands for cylinder and denotes the degree of astigmatism. A large number indicates a higher degree of astigmatism.
Axis gives an idea of the direction of astigmatism and helps ophthalmologist understand the curvature.
Blurry eyesight may mean astigmatism:
Astigmatism is a condition of the eye that can be corrected through surgery, contact lenses, glasses or other techniques. This condition is common although the cause is still unknown; it can be attributed to the eye not being perfectly round.
A normal eye is shaped like a perfect sphere. A person views objects clearly when a ray of light enters the eye refracts, and bends. If the shape of the eye is distorted, refraction is limited to a particular direction. This leads to blurry vision.
If you are experiencing fatigue or eyestrain, a trip to the eye doctor may be due. The ophthalmologist is the right person to diagnose the condition of your eye. The condition of near or farsightedness may be accompanied with astigmatism. This condition gradually increases over a period of time.
The ophthalmologist will prescribe corrective eye glasses (prescription eye glasses) or contact lenses for normal cases. The lenses used in these cases include toric or gas permeable contact lenses. These lenses have the ability to bend the light rays in a particular direction to increase the vision.
A refractive surgery uses laser or refractive surgery to correct the condition of astigmatism. Eye doctors resort to this treatment only if the eye is in perfect health without any retinal deformities.
Astigmatism is denoted by SHL x CYL x Axis
Abbreviations on your prescription:
It won’t take you long to figure out abbreviations that span your prescription- OS,OD, SPH and CYL.
The ophthalmologist jots down certain numbers under OS and OD. OS refers to the left eye and is a Latin abbreviation- ‘oculus sinister’. Similarly, OD is the right eye and in Latin stands for ‘oculus dextrus’. OU on the prescription involves both the eyes.
Examine the number below. The correction depends on how far the number is from zero- the further away more the correction. The number will have a + or – sign in front. The plus sign means indicates farsightedness while the – sign means nearsightedness. The unit expressing these numbers is ‘diopter’ and goes by the abbreviation of D.
The ophthalmologist writes OD (right eye) before OS (left eye). The modern ophthalmologist is switching to RE (right eye) and LE (left eye) to make things simpler.
Nearsightedness can vary from small amounts (-1.00) to large (-4.25). Similarly, farsightedness is in small amounts (+1.00) or in large amounts (+ 5.00). The greater the number, the more corrective measures you need.
SPH stands for sphere and indicates that the treatment that you need for farsightedness or nearsightedness; in either of the eyes is spherical or same for both of them.
CYL stands for cylinder and denotes the degree of astigmatism. A large number indicates a higher degree of astigmatism.
Axis gives an idea of the direction of astigmatism and helps ophthalmologist understand the curvature.
Blurry eyesight may mean astigmatism:
Astigmatism is a condition of the eye that can be corrected through surgery, contact lenses, glasses or other techniques. This condition is common although the cause is still unknown; it can be attributed to the eye not being perfectly round.
A normal eye is shaped like a perfect sphere. A person views objects clearly when a ray of light enters the eye refracts, and bends. If the shape of the eye is distorted, refraction is limited to a particular direction. This leads to blurry vision.
If you are experiencing fatigue or eyestrain, a trip to the eye doctor may be due. The ophthalmologist is the right person to diagnose the condition of your eye. The condition of near or farsightedness may be accompanied with astigmatism. This condition gradually increases over a period of time.
The ophthalmologist will prescribe corrective eye glasses (prescription eye glasses) or contact lenses for normal cases. The lenses used in these cases include toric or gas permeable contact lenses. These lenses have the ability to bend the light rays in a particular direction to increase the vision.
A refractive surgery uses laser or refractive surgery to correct the condition of astigmatism. Eye doctors resort to this treatment only if the eye is in perfect health without any retinal deformities.
Astigmatism is denoted by SHL x CYL x Axis