Understanding your glasses prescription can feel confusing, but it doesn’t have to be!
Here’s a simple breakdown of common optical terms to help you confidently place your order

ADD (or NV-ADD):
This stands for Near Vision Addition. If your prescription includes ADD, it means you need extra correction for close-up activities like reading or using a computer.

• Used in bifocal or progressive lenses.
• Can also apply to single-vision glasses designed specifically for reading or computer work.
  

AR (Anti-Reflective):
This is a special coating on lenses that reduces glare from lights or screens. It makes your glasses clearer and more comfortable to wear, especially in bright environments or when using digital devices.

AXIS:
This is a number (from 1 to 180) that shows the exact angle at which the lens needs to be adjusted to fix an astigmatism (an imperfection in the eye's shape that can cause blurry vision). Think of it like a compass guiding the placement of your lens correction.

BAL (Balance Lenses):
Balance lenses are used when one eye has little or no vision. Both lenses are made with the same thickness to keep them visually balanced, even if only one side is providing vision correction.

BD, BI, BO, BU (Prism Correction):
These abbreviations are used for prism correction, which helps align your eyes if they have trouble working together (e.g., double vision).

• BD (Base Down): Adjusts vision downward.
• BI (Base In): Adjusts vision inward, toward the nose.
• BO (Base Out): Adjusts vision outward, away from the nose.
• BU (Base Up): Adjusts vision upward.

You may see a triangle (Δ) symbol with these abbreviations in your prescription.

CYL (Cylinder):
If you have astigmatism, this number indicates the strength of correction needed to fix it. It works together with the AXIS value to provide clearer vision.

DS (Diopter Simplex):
This abbreviation appears in the CYL section when no astigmatism correction is needed. It simply means your lenses are focused only on nearsightedness or farsightedness.

DV (Distance Vision):
This part of your prescription corrects your vision for faraway objects, like when you’re driving or watching TV.

FT (Flat-Top Bifocal):
This is a type of bifocal lens with a small, flat-top section for reading or close-up vision at the bottom of the lens.

NV (Near Vision):
Near Vision correction is for seeing things up close, like reading a book or checking your phone.

OD, OS, OU:
These Latin abbreviations specify which eye the prescription applies to:

• OD (Oculus Dexter): Your right eye.
• OS (Oculus Sinister): Your left eye.
• OU (Oculus Uterque): Both eyes.

PAL (Progressive Addition Lens):
Progressive lenses allow you to see clearly at all distances—far, near, and everything in between—without the visible line you’d find in bifocal glasses. Some doctors may include different ADD values in your prescription to give extra reading power.

PD (Pupillary Distance):
This is the measurement (in millimeters) of the distance between your pupils. It’s crucial for making sure the optical center of the lenses aligns perfectly with your eyes. Without this, the glasses might not work as well as they should.

PL (Plano):
If your prescription says Plano in the SPH (Sphere) section, it means you don’t need correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness. Your vision is fine at that distance!

RX (Prescription):
This is just a shorthand way of saying your eyeglass prescription.

SPH (Sphere):
This number indicates how much correction you need for nearsightedness (seeing faraway objects is blurry) or farsightedness (seeing up-close objects is blurry).

UV (Ultraviolet):
UV refers to the harmful rays from the sun that can damage your eyes over time. All LifeArt lenses automatically come with 100% UV protection at no extra cost, so you can wear your glasses confidently outdoors.

VA (Visual Acuity):
This measures how well your eyes can see, often noted as a ratio like 20/20. If your prescription includes VA, it means the glasses will correct your vision to a specific standard of clarity.