OD is an abbreviation used in eye prescriptions and eye care to represent the right eye.
Understanding OD in Eye Care
The abbreviation "OD" stems from the Latin term oculus dexter, which literally translates to "right eye." Eye care professionals use this abbreviation, along with others like OS (oculus sinister - left eye) and OU (oculus uterque - both eyes), to clearly communicate prescription information.
Common Abbreviations in Eye Prescriptions:
To better understand OD, it helps to know other common abbreviations used in eye prescriptions:
- OD: Oculus Dexter (Right Eye)
- OS: Oculus Sinister (Left Eye)
- OU: Oculus Uterque (Both Eyes)
- SPH: Sphere (Lens power to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness)
- CYL: Cylinder (Lens power to correct astigmatism)
- Axis: The orientation of the cylinder power
- ADD: Additional lens power for reading (usually for bifocals or progressive lenses)
- PD: Pupillary Distance (Distance between pupils)
Example:
If your eye prescription reads:
- OD: SPH: +2.00, CYL: -1.00, Axis: 90
- OS: SPH: +1.50, CYL: -0.50, Axis: 180
This means your right eye (OD) requires a lens with a spherical power of +2.00, a cylinder power of -1.00 at an axis of 90 degrees. Similarly, your left eye (OS) requires a spherical power of +1.50, a cylinder power of -0.50 at an axis of 180 degrees.
In summary, OD is the standard abbreviation for the right eye in eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions.
