I admit, sometimes I am lazy. Rather than take the five minutes to scrape my windshield this morning I decided it wasn't that bad and that I would be fine to drive with some ice build up impacting my vision. On my drive in to the office I could see okay, but I realized as I was stopping at a light that I did not have perfect vision. My depth perception was a bit off and overall, I did not have the clear vision I need to drive at my best.
This situation is actually quite similar to wearing glasses that have scratches all over the lenses or even wearing glasses that do not have an anti-reflective coating on the lens. When patients do not buy eye glasses regularly and try to make their scratched lenses last longer, they are impacting their vision. Sure, they can see, but it isn't the best vision possible. The same can be said for patients that do not have an anti-reflective (AR) coating on their lenses. AR coating, or sometimes referred to as "no-glare" lenses, reduce reflections on the lens due to light and glare. From a performance standpoint, this helps reduce rings from light, which is important when driving at night and also when looking at a computer monitor. From an appearance perspective, AR coatings reduce the reflections on the lens, creating a better look. When the glare is reduced on the outside of the lens, it allows others to look at your eyes without any annoying reflections, giving you a more natural look.
Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care recommends that you always have an annual eye examination from the best eye doctor possible for health reasons. In addition, we recommend that you buy eye glasses whenever your lenses become too scratched up and for most people we recommend anti-reflective lens coating to reduce glare and improve vision.
On Monday, February 8th, Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care will open its 20th Indiana Vision Center in Zionsville, Indiana. The Zionsville Dr. Tavel will join the other vision eye centers in Indianapolis, Anderson, Bloomington, Columbus, Fishers, Greenwood, Kokomo, Muncie, New Castle, Shelbyville, Elkhart, South Bend, Richmond and Terre Haute. Three of the current optical locations are Vision Values by Dr. Tavel and the remaining 17 are Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care.
As with any of our Dr. Tavel stores, we will offer comprehensive eye examinations by a board certified Indiana eye doctor, premium contact lenses and eyeglasses. If you want to buy eye glasses or see the best eye doctor possible, come to our new location at 61 Boone Village in Zionsville or call 317-733-3344 for an appointment. Of course, you can also schedule on line at
www.drtavel.com. We look forward to serving the Zionsville community.
Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care is doing its part to help with the Haitian Relief Effort. Due to the massive earthquake that hit last week, many of the buildings have been damaged and personal belongings destroyed. As Indiana Eye Doctors, it only makes sense that we would help the best way we know how, with the gift of sight. We are asking that anyone who has an old pair of eyeglasses come into one of our 20 Vision Eye Centers to donate their used eyeglasses. We will be working with the American Red Cross to get these glasses to those in need.
It is estimated that over 4 million pairs of eyeglasses and lenses are thrown out in a given year in the United States. Rather than toss that old frame and lenses, come into Dr. Tavel or a Vision Values by Dr. Tavel optical location to donate these to someone in need. If you have a pair that you don't wear, bring them in. If you only have a frame, bring it in. We will accept any donation of used eyewear. Go to our locations page to find the nearest Indianapolis Optical or Indiana Optical store to you.
Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care now offers the Randy Jackson Eyewear Collection. Most of us know Randy Jackson from American Idol, with his cool demeanor and his "yo dawg" comments. Given that he has always worn some great frames that are stylish with just a bit of a unique edge, he partnered with Zyloware to create his own brand of frames. Randy's comments are that these frames are for men in their mid-20's to early 50's who care about their appearance. (Apparently if you don't care how you look, then these frames are not for you!)
After trying on each of the Randy Jackson frames, I can tell you that not only do they look stylish without being over the top, but they are incredibly comfortable. Some frames that are out there are bulky and meant to stand out. The problem is that some of them end up being very heavy and this tends to cause discomfort at the end of the day. Not the Randy Jackson Eyewear Collection. We offer these frames at all of our Indiana Optical locations where you can buy eye glasses so come check out this new line at Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care.
Dr. Tavel and his associates have decided to join up with local communities and speak at various "Dine With a Doc" events. These are free events that welcome local senior public to hear doctors speak once per month, presenting topics that are educational and informative for the participants.
In January, Dr. Elizabeth Johnson from the New Castle Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care is speaking at Hickory Creek in New Castle. Her topic is going to be cataracts, which is the leading cause of blindness. A cataract is the clouding of the lens. The lens of our eye is made out of water and protein and as we get older, the protein can sometimes clump together, which causes the clouding effect.
It is important for patients to have an annual eye examination to monitor this closely. At initial onset, it is possible to mitigate the effecs of cataracts by getting glasses and lenses with a higher prescription. Ultimately, cataract surgery can be a great solution for restoring vision. It is actually one of the most frequent surgeries performed, with over 3 million done annually.
For those patients in New Castle, Indiana, feel free to join Dr. Johnson at 10 am on the 27th of January at Hickory Creek to learn more about cataracts and the role your Indiana eye doctor can play in detection and prevention of this disease.
Recently, one of my good friends came down with Pink Eye. When most people think of Pink Eye, they think of young children at school, spreading this contagious disease to one another as they don't wash their hands often enough. The reality is that adults can contract this as well and some of the most likely adult candidates are contact lens wearers.
Why are contact lens wearers more vulnerable to pink eye and what was likely the primary cause of my friend getting pink eye? Poor hygiene in the handling of contact lenses and contact lens cases can contribute mightily to infections of this sort. My friend has a very bad habit of not changing or cleaning her premium contact lenses for months at a time.
So, when she went to get an eye examination with one of our Indianapolis eye doctors, she was told to throw away her contacts, replace her contact lens case and wear her eyeglasses for a few days to help alleviate the symptoms. The problem was that when she put her glasses on, they had a 3 year old prescription in them that was off substantially and her vision was impaired. Since she wears contact lenses all the time, she saw very little need to have an updated pair of glasses. Needless to say, she came back in to one of our Indianapolis locations and ordered a new pair of glasses.
Two morals to this story: (1) contact lens wearers need to follow the guidelines of their wear schedule so as to have the best eye health and (2) even those patients who wear contacts 24/7 have a need to have a back-up pair of glasses.
When I used to think of Transitions lenses, I would think of a kid I went to elementary school with. Whenever he would come back in from recess, it would take FOREVER for his glasses to go from dark to light again. On top of that, his lenses would never fully go back to a clear state. He always seemed a bit frustrated with his lenses and it made a lasting impression upon me, that I haven't been able to truly shake until now.
The Transition lenses of today are much more efficient. They adjust very well to lighting conditions, going from clear indoors to sunglass-dark outdoors. These lenses are great in that they change much quicker than they used to and the lenses will get very clear inside. The nice part about Transition lenses is that they also help reduce eye strain and fatigue as you don't have to squint so much once you walk outside into the sun.
I recommend that anyone who intends to buy eye glasses, and doesn't want to buy an additional pair of prescription sunglasses, give Transitions lenses a test drive. You will be surprised at how convenient these lenses are and how comfortable they are for your lifestyle (assuming you go outside!). The next time you see your Indianapolis eye doctor, ask him or her their opinion on Transition lenses and you will likely find that the best eye doctors recommend them.
This past weekend I was working around the house, trying to knock some items off the old 'honey-do' list. One of the items on the list was to fix some shelving that had broken. This requires the use of my table saw and if I have learned nothing else from my father, it is safety first when working with power tools and wood. I used to be a bit lazy when it came to this, but it only takes one time of getting some dust or wood debris in your eye to learn that safety glasses are a must.
Most people are likely unaware that Dr. Tavel carries a wide variety of safety eyeglasses, including one of the most popular brands in
Titmus. Dr. Tavel has safety glasses for those who need prescription safety eyewear for personal or professional use.
I was reading the latest issue of Eyecare Business magazine and they had some great statistics regarding children's vision.
- 23 million children have vision problems
- 95% of vision issues can be corrected if detected and treated early
- 7 - 12% of children have eye problems that may lead to permanent loss of vision if not detected and treated in time
- 2.4 million (or 10.5% of) children between the ages of zero and four are affected
- 86% don't have eyes examined before first grade
- Only 14% have their eyes examined before age 18
-- Source: PediaVision
Of all the statistics, the last one was the most surprising. As a family eye care practice, Dr. Tavel sees thousands of children every year for eye examinations, glasses and lenses and contact lenses. One of our primary goals is to educate families that they need to see an eye care doctor on an annual basis, even if you do not need to buy eye glasses. Looks like we need to continue spreading the word based on that last statistic...
I was watching the Colts game on Sunday night with some friends when someone commented on my glasses and asked what kind they were. I told him that I was wearing a Ted Baker frame and he started asking what kinds of frames we carry. I explained that we carry a wide variety of brands with a wide variety of styles of eyeglasses including Columbia, Fendi, Cazal Eyewear, Kishimoto (great, durable and sleek looking Barely There frames, by the way), Vannie Eyewear, Harve Benard, Baby Phat, Phat Farm, Lulu Guinness, Vera Bradley, Laguiole Optique, Axebo, and many others. I also explained that you could get most of these brands in sunglasses as well with a polarized prescription or non-prescription lens. Also, we have some great brands in sunglasses, such as Rudy Project for athletic wear sunglasses and Ed Hardy sunglasses as great fashionable sunglasses.
This got me thinking about how unique the eye care industry is. When you think about eye care, you typically think about having an optometrist examine your eyes for health reasons and also for refractive error. That side of the house is much more medical in nature. However, when it comes to glasses and lenses, you think about fashion and when it comes to fashion, people think of brand names. Patients want to go to the best eye doctor, get the best eye examination possible in Indiana and they ALSO want to go to an Indiana Vision Center where they can buy eye glasses that are going to look great, have a solid brand name and make a fashion statement. As an optical provider, it is our job to pull all of these offerings together into one comprehensive package, which is what you will find at Dr. Tavel.
If you're ever in my situation and you find yourself having to stay up all night reading a 20 pound text book about Business Law while simultaneously taking notes on the computer screen - you may also find yourself wondering why the words keep getting harder and harder to see (let alone comprehend) and, if there is anything in the world that could possibly better your situation. Well, lucky for you - I have just the thing.
A few things to be learned here:
1. All-Nighters suck & coffee is wonderful.
2. After lengthy periods of time looking at small text, like the letters in a text book or those on a computer screen, you may begin to experience blurred vision.
So what does this mean?
Your eyes are most likely strained from shifting your focus from the text book to the computer screen and back.
What can we do?
Computer glasses and lenses are a great option for this situation. What makes computer glasses unique is that they contain a prescription for optimal intermediate distance viewing (a little farther than reading distance, but closer than driving distance), and combine it with the Anti-Reflective coating that helps reduce glare from the screen which can cause headaches and increased eyestrain.
Eye care doctors in college towns, like our Bloomington Eye Doctor, suggest computer glasses quite often to students to help with focus on school work.
And the benefits are:
With a simple eye examination you can get your intermediate distance measured and, of course, a pair of computer glasses. You'll experience reduced eye strain, fewer headaches, increased ability to focus, and hopefully better grades as a result!
Time to get back to school work!
On Sunday, I was fortunate enough to attend the first
Colts game of the year (thank you to the fine attorneys at
Hall Render for the tickets!). What an incredible day. The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky. Walking to the stadium was amazing; there were thousands of die-hard Colts fans in their blue and white jerseys yelling their support for the team. When I walked into
Lucas Oil Stadium, they had opened the roof and the north end wall so the sun was shining in and right before kick-off they had four fighter planes do a fly-over.
One of the reasons I enjoyed the day so much, besides obvious reasons, is that I have the benefit of wearing the best contact lenses available. Working for an eye care doctor, I get to try a wide variety of premium contact lenses. One of the most comfortable lenses for me is the
Air Optix Aqua contacts by
Ciba Vision. When I am out on the weekends, I prefer to wear contact lenses over glasses and lenses as they are a better fit for me when I am out and about in a more active manner. And trust me, I was very active in cheering for the Colts on Sunday! Seriously, though, the Air Optix Aqua contacts work for me because they wear well on my eyes and give me great vision, without the discomfort of having dry eyes. They were definitely a contributing factor to a very enjoyable day, along with a win for the
Colts. Go Horse!
I was in our Anderson vision center the other day and I heard a patient as one of our opticians if she could rub off the anti-reflective (AR) coating on her lenses. She had heard from someone that she shouldn't get AR because it would rub and peel off and ruin her lenses.
Being around eye doctors and in our Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care stores, I hear all kinds of rumors and myths about eye care and products, specifically glasses and lenses. This is one myth that at one point might have been true years ago. The reality is that AR coatings have come a long way in terms of the technology that is used to create this coating. The current process is that the AR is put on the lens through a process of stacks so there are multiple layers of coatings that go on the lens, making it very resistant to wear and tear. In addition, most manufacturers of AR coatings will test their lenses with thousands of rub cycles back and forth to make sure the lens will stand up to cleaning and wear and tear.
So if you are staying away from an Anti-Reflective lens coating because you are afraid it is going to rub off, then you are staying away for the wrong reason. And if you want to buy the best eye glasses possible, then you will want to make sure AR is part of the package.
I recently read an article by Science Daily that found that uncorrected vision costs billions of dollars in lost productivity annually. Their research estimated that there are 158 million people in the world that suffer from uncorrected refractive error and that the annual loss in productivity is around $269 Billion. Yes, that is Billion with a B.
Let's think about this for a moment because there are a few key words in this research that stick out. First of all, the billions of dollars sticks out. Then think about the fact that this is an ANNUAL amount of productivity loss. It doesn't take too many years to hit the Trillion dollar mark. The second key point is that this is due to refractive error, which means we are not talking about uncorrectable eye problems or major eye diseases. This has to do with vision impairment because people are not wearing glasses. In some cases, they haven't had it corrected because they may not feel as if they have trouble seeing or that "it isn't bad enough for me to go see a vision doctor".
This research makes a very compelling argument that everyone should have an annual eye examination with the best eye doctor possible. Seeing better and having great vision is imperative when it comes to being as productive as possible. Whether you need glasses and lenses or if you prefer to wear premium contact lenses, you should make a point to get an annual eye examination with your optometrist to ensure that you aren't one of the millions of people with uncorrected vision impairment.
Last Saturday, Team Tavel spent an amazing day down on Mass Ave in downtown Indianapolis doing a combination of promoting Rudy Project performance athletic eye wear and supporting the athletes riding in the 2009 Mass Ave Criterium. The weather was perfect and the attendance for the event was at record levels. For those that are unaware of the event, it was a bike race on the streets of downtown Indianapolis, going from Mass Ave to Vermont St to East St and north on East to Mass Ave. These men and women were MOVING! The Dr. Tavel/Rudy Project tent was at the start/finish line and when the racers went by in a big pack you could feel a big gust of wind following them as they rode by.
The Dr. Tavel Optical Group sponsored this event for two primary reasons. First, we have been a part of the Indianapolis community for almost 70 years and we love to support the community in which we live. The Mass Ave Criterium is in its infancy and we want to see this event succeed. The second reason we sponsored this is because we carry a large variety of Rudy Project sunglasses, which is one of the best athletic sunglasses available in the world. Rudy Project sunglasses have many options for a variety of sports. Cyclists love these glasses because they are unbelievably comfortable. You can bend the end of the temples to fit your head and ears, which is important when wearing a bike helmet. On top of the comfort, Rudy Project sunglasses have the best lens options you can imagine. First, they have shatter resistant lenses, they have polarized lenses and you can get a photochromic lens option as well. This is great for those riding on the road because the polarized lens is going to keep the glare from the sun out of your eyes, giving you a very clear view. The photochromic lens option is going to be critical for those going on long rides, as the lenses will adjust to the amount of light. On a cloudy day, the lenses aren't very dark and on a bright and sunny day your lenses are going to adjust accordingly and offer you a great visual experience so you can focus on riding or whatever other activities you are engaged in.
The great part of our Rudy Project brand of sunglasses is that you can get them at any Dr. Tavel location (Indianapolis, Anderson, Bloomington, etc...) AND you can get them with a prescription in the lens. Dr. Tavel can easily put your Rx in the lenses so you can get ultimate comfort and vision while wearing technically cool eye wear. That is why we are the best eye doctor in Indianapolis, offering the best eye glasses and lenses, even in the form of sunglasses!
It seems that people use the words "eyesight" and "vision" quite often to mean the same thing. However, did you know that you can have perfect eyesight but still have vision problems?
Eye sight is tested through one's ability to see images up close and far away (usually during an eye examination these are the charts with letters and numbers on them). At this point, the optometrist is testing for visual acuity. How accurately are your eyes seeing the image?
The term "vision" however, encompasses the idea of eyesight but goes a little bit beyond it. After testing for visual acuity, eye care doctors also check to see if the eyes are working in synch, or what is called "binocularity."
When the eyes are not working together, or one eye is working harder than the other, it is common to experience eye strain and headaches. If left untreated, eyes with poor binocularity can worsen significantly, resulting in conditions like lazy eyes.
Getting the appropriate corrective lenses made when you buy eye glasses can make a world of difference.
Many people have a correctable vision problem known as
Myopia or "nearsightedness." This means that an individual is able to see things up close, like the newspaper or a book, while
distant objects appear to be blurred or out of focus.
Detection of this issue may seem to be pretty easy without having an eye examination, but to correct it will require glasses and lenses (or contact lenses) customized for your eyes specifically.
Living with an uncorrected problem like Myopia will prove itself to be quite uncomfortable.
Constantly squinting in an effort to see far objects causes eye strain and tired eyes which can lead to headaches. It's very important to pay close attention to your eye care.
What's even more important is to consider the whole family, children most particularly. Kids often are not aware that inability to see the chalkboard at school is a problem or that a headache can be a result of needing glasses. It has been proven by several institutions that
undetected vision problems in children can significantly hinder their performance in school.
At Dr. Tavel there are huge savings available this month applicable to your yearly check-up or for back to school check ups. ($100 off frames, Free kids Lenses, 30 pairs of premium contact lenses for only $15, and many more
www.drtavel.com/whats_hot.php)
Let our family serve your family. Come in today.
I bet you never knew there were glasses and lenses specifically made for Shark Sighting!
I just got back from eating lunch at TGI Friday's where, as I sat waiting for my salad, I was watching a silenced version of the daily news. One story in particular caught my attention though. Apparently, a fisherman who was fishing off the coast of Alabama sighted a 12 foot great white shark! Yikes.
It was funny to me because I was thinking "there is no way he could've seen Jaws without polarized lenses." I say that because water produces a very intense reflection that makes it very difficult to see below the surface if there is virtually any sunlight.
A polarized lens however, works wonders for this type of activity because it was designed to remove glare and reflections resulting in bright, vivid colors and crisp, clear images. The polarized filter works like Venetian blinds, redirecting the scattered light so it doesn't blind you.
I'm telling you, eye care is such a cool industry. The options in the optical field are sort of like the iphone advertisement where they say "Yep. There's an AP for that." ... Our version?
"Yep, there's a lens for that." There is a lens for every single activity, every single life style, you name it, we've got it.
And the best part? All these options are available to you in all of Dr. Tavel's Indianapolis optical and surrounding optical locations. With the most technologically advanced eyeglasses Indianapolis has to offer you can honestly find anything you can dream up.
So I finally broke down and purchased some prescription sunglasses after a very frustrating drive to work with the sun blinding me. I own a pair of sunglasses, but I only wear them when I have my premium contact lenses in. When I go to work, I wear my eyeglasses, which has meant that I have to deal with sun and glare on my commute to the office. Well, no longer. I bought a pair of sunglasses that I had my prescription put into so I can swap out my eyeglasses when I get in the car for a pair of prescription sunglasses. The great part is that I didn't get just any sunglasses. I bought a pair of Columbia sunglasses, which are the most comfortable pair of eye wear that I have ever put on.
On top of buying a very comfortable pair of sunglasses, the prescription sun lens I put into these glasses was a polarized sun lens. Talk about reducing glare. Not only does it block the sun, but it blocks the glare from all objects and provides for excellent optics. I didn't realize this before because my basic pair of sunglasses are not polarized. The drive to work is now crisp and clear optically, which is critical when DRIVING!
Based on this, I highly recommend that the next time you buy eye glasses that you also consider a prescription pair that are polarized. You can thank me later.
This morning in Indianapolis it absolutely poured rain! I was on my way in to work and hit all sorts of obstacles because of the crazy thunderstorm that is going on right now. I drove through a 2 foot deep puddle, was rerouted due to a lightning induced fire, and hydroplaned several times. How anything could be on fire in all this rain, I have no idea. But it was.
As I drove up Kessler Blvd. I noticed myself squinting and slowing down to almost 15 miles per hour to make sure I was staying on the road. It occured to me that if I hadn't been wearing my glasses I probably would've been in the ditch.
This situation is certainly a scary one, but its a good note to remind you how important it is to have an eye examination.
There are so many obstacles (both natural and man-made) that make it difficult for our eyes to function properly that can be eased with customized lenses.Dr. Tavel and his associate Indianapolis optometrists are consistently prescribing premium contact lenses and the highest quality eyeglasses Indianapolis has to offer. Be sure to schedule an appointment for you and your family at any of our convenient Indiana locations.
www.drtavel.com/schedule/
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