How to Read Your Contact Lens Prescription

Your contact lens prescription allows you to buy contact lenses that match your vision needs from opticians or online retailers. After a successful fitting, you are legally entitled to a copy of your prescription in the UK, so if you didn't receive one, contact your optician to obtain the same.

Do I Need a Prescription for Contact Lenses in the UK?

Yes, a contact lenses prescription is required to purchase contact lenses, just like eyeglasses. Regular check-ups with an Optician are necessary to monitor eye health. While you don't need a prescription to buy coloured contact lenses, it's still recommended to have an eye test /Contact lenses test to ensure proper fit and comfort.

Ordering from LensSaver is simple. You don't need to provide your physical prescription, but it’s important to have one for your safety. If you want us to verify your prescription, we can do that too.

Reading Your Contact Lens Prescription

Your prescription can be found on:

●     The paper given by your optician.

●     The side or end of your contact lens box.

●     The blister packs containing the lenses.

It will include specifications for both your left and right eye, which may vary. Below is an example and a guide to understanding each part:

Example Prescription:

Note: Your prescription will also include the name of your lens brand (e.g., Acuvue moist) and expiry date, usually a year from your eye exam.

What Do the Prescription Figures Mean?

1.    Base Curve (BC): Refers to the shape of your lens to fit the curve of your eye, measured in millimeters (e.g., 8.4,8.5,8.6,8.7 or 9.0).

2.    Diameter (DIA): The width of your lens, (e.g., 13.8,14.2,14.5,).

3.    Power/Sphere (PWR/SPH): Indicates the amount of vision correction you need. For short-sightedness (myopia), the number begins with a minus (-), and for long-sightedness (hyperopia), it begins with a plus (+).

Additional Figures for Astigmatism (Toric Lenses)

1.    Cylinder (CYL): Always a negative number that reflects the severity of astigmatism (e.g., -0.75). The higher the number, the stronger the correction.

2.    Axis (AX): Represents the angle of the correction needed to treat astigmatism. It's a number between 0 and 180 degrees (e.g., 5,10,20,).

Additional Figures for Presbyopia (Multifocal Lenses)

1.    Addition (ADD): Reflects the amount of correction needed for close-up vision, ranging from +0.50 to +2.50 (e.g., +1.50).

2.    Dominant (D/N): Specifies which eye is dominant for distance vision and which is non-dominant for near vision, marked as "D" for dominant and "N" for non-dominant.

Important: A contact lens prescription differs from an eyeglass prescription, so they are not interchangeable.

By understanding your prescription, you can confidently order the correct contact lenses to suit your vision and lifestyle needs!