Glasses recipes may look complicated, but they are really not that bad. Especially for children because they do not need progressive lenses yet.
How do you read a prescription for glasses?
The prescription you received from the eye specialist lists a number of values.
The SPH (Sphere) value represents the correction for nearsightedness, indicated by a minus (-), or farsightedness, indicated by a plus (+). Check further down this page if you want an explanation of the difference between long-sighted and short-sighted
CYL (C or cylinder) and AXI (A or axis) correct the shape of your cornea. This occurs when your cornea is not completely round, but shaped a bit like a rugby ball.
AXI and CYL belong together:
CYL is the amount of correction you need.
AXI is the axis, a number between 1 and 180 degrees.
Pupil distance (PD)
This is the distance between your pupils in millimeters. It is crucial to make sure that the center of your lenses is exactly in the right place.
How to fill in your glasses prescription
When you order the glasses, you have the glasses prescription to hand. Filling it out is effortless. We will take you through the ordering process step by step.
Make sure you fill in the correct strengths. This is because you will receive personalized glasses that are made to measure. Once you have placed your order, you cannot change or cancel it.
Is there no PD on the prescription? No problem. You can easily measure your child's PD on our website using your laptop or smartphone during the ordering process. You will find this tool during the ordering process!
There is also a very useful App for the iPhone X (and higher) with which you can measure the PD. (use the result Far PD)
Does your child look cross-eyed? Then it is important that a specialist measures the pupillary distance (PD) of both eyes separately.
Do you need some extra help? We'll be happy to look over your shoulder. If so, please contact us via email or WhatsApp us directly.
Want to read even more about eye disorders?
Long-sighted, short-sighted or lazy eye? How about that?
Long-sightedness (hypermetropia, + power)
Your child can effortlessly recognize objects that are far away, but has to make great efforts to see something that is close by. Most babies and toddlers are farsighted, but this condition gradually decreases during the first few years of life and usually disappears by itself.
Nearsightedness (myopia)
Nearsighted children have no trouble focusing on objects that are close up. They do have problems seeing images on television, reading from the blackboard, or a ball while playing. Nearsighted children tend to squint or blink their eyes often, to be able to see things in the distance better.
Cylindrical aberration (astigmatism)
If a child has a cylindrical aberration, he or she will have problems seeing far and near. This is because the cornea is not perfectly round, but oval. A rugby ball, instead of a football.
Squinting (strabismus)
If your child cannot focus both eyes on one point at the same time, it is called squinting. The brain of children who squint produces two different images: a sharp image and a blurred image. As a result, your child develops a preference for the eye that does see clearly, and the other eye cannot develop as well. This eye is also known as the 'lazy eye', and it's capacity gradually decreases.
The good news? A lazy eye is often easy to treat in children. It is therefore vital to start treating it as early as possible. Read more about this topic at the eye fund.