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Where to find your contact lens prescription
If you have the box your contacts came in, you can find your prescription information on one of the side panels.
Your prescription can also be found on the paperwork provided by your eye doctor after your eye exam. A breakdown of each prescription term is available below.
How to Read Your Prescription
Here is a list of terms that may appear on your prescription.
Note: a contact lens prescription is different from a prescription for eyeglasses.
- OD and OS: These abbreviations stand for your right eye (OD) and left eye (OS).
- PWR/SPH: Sometimes written as “Power”, “Sphere”, or “D”—this number shows the lens power needed to correct your vision. Negative values correct nearsightedness, while positive values correct farsightedness.
- BC: Also known as “Base Curve”, this number indicates the curvature of the lens. It ensures a proper fit on your eye.
- DIA: This is the “Diameter” of the lens, which affects how it sits on your eye.
- CYL (for astigmatism): Also known as “Cylinder”, this value indicates the lens power needed to correct astigmatism.
- AXIS (for astigmatism): This number shows the orientation of the cylindrical correction for a prescription that treats astigmatism.
- ADD (for multifocal): Also known as “Addition”, this value indicates the extra magnifying power for reading or close-up vision.
- Brand/Lens Name: This is the specific brand of contact lenses prescribed for you.
Example of a contact lens prescription for astigmatism:
How to provide your prescription verification when ordering contacts online
After you select the prescription values for your contact lenses, you can verify your prescription during checkout using one of the following methods:
- Upload an image of your prescription paperwork (fastest processing)
- Choose your doctor from our database or enter your doctor’s information manually. We’ll contact them to approve your prescription.
- Online prescription renewal may be available for some customers with an expired prescription.