Pupillary distance

[Rudolf Schmidt]

Hello. I went to the optometrist today and they wrote down my
pupillary distance as 61/58. The last time I got it measured, two
years ago, they wrote it as 30/29.5. I assume that 30/29.5 is the
measure of each eye individually, thus adding up to 59.5, but how
should I interpret 61/58?

[Chuck Knight]

61 = Distance / 58 = reading

The other one you got was likely a distance measurement, but done for
each individual eye. It's another way to do it, called monocular PD,
and accommodates the fact that most people's eye are *slightly* off
center.

-- Chuck Knight

[Mark Harrison]

Is it a bifocal/progressive prescription? If so, that's
the far PD and near PD.

[clocker]

If you take a metric ruler and put it up to your eyes while looking in
a mirror it should become obvious which number represents which eye.
Many seem to write the OD (right eye) first and OS (left eye) second,
but I'm all rookie. Glad to hear I'm not the only one with a lopsided
face. :*)
Hope this helps.
Ian

[Rudolf Schmidt]

I don't understand why I'm getting replies in my mailbox but they
haven't appeared here yet. Anyway, to those of you who asked if I wear
bifocals or progressives, the answer is 'no'. The Dr. said I'd likely
need them in a couple years, but not yet.