Prescription 101
Reading your contact lens prescription only looks complicated. It’s actually really simple. No, really! Let’s break it down.
How to Read a Contact Lens Prescription
All you need to know are these 3 numbers and abbreviations:
APWR: contact lens power is the amount of visual correction your contact lens provides, which may be different for each eye. This is indicated with a + or – depending on whether you are near- or farsighted.
BDIA: contact lens diameter determines the width of your contact lens.
CBC: contact lens base curve determines what size the contact lens should be to fit the curvature of your eye.
If you have a contact lens prescription for astigmatism, there are a few additional numbers to look out for:
DCylinder: contact lens cylinder shows the extra correction needed for astigmatism with contact lenses (always a minus [–] on contact lenses).
EAxis: contact lens axis is a number between 0 – 180 degrees which shows the angle of correction needed for you to see clearly.
Or just have your optician fill in the “left eye” or “right eye” checkbox on the side of each contact lens box, and move on with your day.
Everything You Need to Know and More About Contact Lens Prescriptions
If your prescription expires, you won’t be able to buy more lenses until your eye care professional provides a new one.
No. Contact lens prescriptions are different from eyeglass prescriptions. If you have eyeglasses but are interested in trying contact lenses, schedule an exam with your eye care professional.
Contact lenses that correct astigmatism are called Toric lenses. They contain two powers — one that corrects astigmatism, and another that corrects either nearsightedness or farsightedness. The magic happens when the two prescriptions sit perfectly where you need them to on your eye, without shifting around. PRECISION1™ for Astigmatism contact lenses are designed to stay in place so you always have outstanding vision.
Glad you asked. Alcon offers 30-count and 60-count boxes of PRECISION1™ contact lenses, so take your pick!
PRECISION1™ contact lenses can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
*Eye exam may be required. Professional fees may apply.
Consult your eye care professional for wear, care, precautions, warnings, contraindications and adverse effects.
