Make Sure You Know This About Pupillary Distance

Measuring your pupillary distance:

This measurement is the distance between the centre of your pupils that is measured in millimetres.

Opticians do not tend to give out this measurement as it encourages patients to buy their spectacles from them whereas you can buy cheap spectacles online or designer glasses at a fraction of the price online. It is usually recorded as 1 measure for example 60 (60mm) but can also be shown as R 29 L 31. When penned in this way it is the individual space from your right and left pupils to the midline of your nose.

When Varifocals, High Prescriptions or Prisms are ordered the measure is commonly split individually. Generally it is written as a single value for most single vision prescriptions.

If you do not know this measurement and don’t want to measure it yourself then most online opticians will make your PD the national average (63) for men and (60) for women.

You can ask a friend or family member to calculate your PD for you:

This will be by far the simplest means by obtaining your PD. With your friend sitting opposite you at the same height ask them to place a ruler across your forehead just above your eyes with the millimetre side facing upwards.

Next ask your friend to close their right eye and you then look directly into their left eye. Request your assistant to slide the ruler in order for the zero value is in the center of your right pupil and to hold the ruler very steady across your brow. So, now look straight into your friends right eye with them closing their left eye.

Your associate will then take off the measurement to the centre of your left pupil. And that’s it! It really is that easy! Please see the diagram below to help you further.

Using your present-day spectacles to evaluate you pupillary distance with help from a friend:

Put your glasses on so that they are comfortable and steady. Request your assistant to stand opposite you and mark on your lenses the placement of your pupils with a non permanent marker.

There should be two lines visible in your line of sight, whilst you are viewing through your glasses. Take off your glasses and measure the distance between the two markings. And that’s it! If the ruler shows 6 cm then your pupillary distance will be termed as 60. If the measurement is 6.3cm then your PD will be 63.

If you have a varifocal measurement, then just measure across from your right eye to the centre of your nose and then again from the centre of your nose to your left eye and record the individual readings for both your left and right eyes. If you’re not in the market for buying sunglasses with prescription lenses in then don’t worry about what’s in this article.