Thursday afternoon in my Astronomy course, I sat with a friend of mine who happens to be color blind. Now, if you know anything about astronomy you'll probably note that it has a lot to do with the visible light spectrum, the spectrum of colors that appears when white light is broken down by a prism (ROY G. BIV ring a bell?). Anyway, as we were viewing the array of colors produced by various elements, my friend turned to me and said "this would be so much easier if I had normal vision."
Normal vision? What does that even mean? Being able to see colors? Getting a regular eye examination? Not having to buy eyeglasses? There are so many dimensions to "normal vision" that it's hard to decide what exactly that constitutes.
The truth is, "normal vision" does not mean "perfect vision." According to the Vision Council of America, over 75% of the population wears some sort of corrective lenses. This means, the norm is not perfect vision, but corrected vision. However, normal vision can go awry relatively quickly without having regular eye exams. But, if you follow the simple rule "Check yearly. See Clearly." you can count on having true normal vision for a long time.
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!
Fall classes officially start tomorrow here in Bloomington! Summer has finally come to a close. Settling in this week has consisted of shoving tons of clothes in to a tiny closet, readjusting to shared bathrooms, and getting to know all the wonderful girls I'm living with this year.
A few nights ago, one of the girls came in with very red, swollen eyes. I asked her what was going on, and she informed me that she had slept in her contact lenses for three consecutive months and as a result had developed an allergy to the proteins her eyes make when she wears contacts.
This is a perfect example of why it is so important to listen to and comply with all the instructions eye care doctors give you after an eye examination.
Even premium contact lenses that have been designed for overnight wear are not made for literal constant wear for extended periods of time. It is very, very important to remove contact lenses at very least weekly and wash them thoroughly in solution to remove any protein buildup or other bacteria that may be growing on the lenses.
Wearing your contacts longer than the recommended period of time without removal can result in serious eye damage and in some cases, even blindness.
If you have any questions regarding contact lenses, feel free to contact us at any time.
www.drtavel.com/contact_us/
Astigmatism is a very common eye problem in people of all ages. It is not an eye disease, but a refractive error (an error in the focusing of light). The refractive error of Astigmatism is related to the shape and size of the eye that causes blurred vision.
What causes Astigmatism?Astigmatism is generally the result of a misshapen cornea. Instead of being perfectly rounded (basketball shaped) the cornea more closely resembles a football or an egg shape. The misshapen cornea causes the eye to refract light in such a way that it produces 2 distorted images on the back of the eye, as opposed to one clear image.
How do I tell if I have Astigmatism?
An Eye examination is the best way to get an exact diagnosis. However, headaches, eyestrain and fatigue are very common symptoms as well. You may also notice blurred or distorted vision.
Can Astigmatism be treated?
Absolutely. With the corrective eyeglasses or premium contact lenses eye care doctors are able almost always to fully correct astigmatism.
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.
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/
With school just a couple weeks around the corner our Indiana eye doctors are seeing hundreds of students a week! The schedule is getting tight, so the time to schedule an eye examination is now!
Is your child headed off to college? Dr. Tavel has Indiana vision centers in nearly every Indiana college town. Our Bloomington eye doctor (as well as our Columbus eye doctors) is happy to help the Hoosiers all year round! If your kid is a Ball State Cardinal up in Muncie, we have a brand new location there too! Our Anderson vision center, Fishers location, as well as 11 other Indianapolis Optical locations are all ready to help your student prepare for the upcoming year.
Got Contacts?
You can now have your college kid re-order her contacts online at
www.drtavel.com/contacts/order.php.
We want to make the transition as easy as possible for everyone! As we like to say, let our family serve your family. Trust your vision to Dr. Tavel.
Go Hoosiers! :)
Back to school means lots of new and exciting things for kids and parents! New backpacks, new clothes, new spelling words, new friends, all sorts of things.
But, being around lots of kids all day long can also mean new bacteria...not so exciting. In classroom or daycare environments the spread of bacteria or infection can happen very quickly.
That said, here are a few tips for Pink Eye Prevention this school year:
-Children and Adults should wash their hands often using anti-bacterial soap.
-Don't share hand towels, science goggles, or personal items with other students.
If a child or adult has been exposed to Pink Eye take the following steps to help prevent spreading the infection:
-Avoid rubbing itchy eyes, as this spreads the bacteria to the hand, and then to whatever the hand touches.
-Do not wear contact lenses. Even premium contact lenses with aqua comfort can cause further irritation to an infected eye.
- Stay home! Placing a child or adult into a crowded environment is a very easy way to introduce Pink Eye to a large group of people. It is recommended that people diagnosed with Pink eye stay at home for 3 - 5 days.
-Use anti-bacterial wipes and sprays to wipe down any common areas that may have been touched by an infected person.
Of course, it is always in your best interest to visit they eye care doctors at Dr. Tavel and have an eye examination if you suspect you or your child may have Pink Eye. Better safe than sorry I always say.
ABC 7 - a TV station out of Chicago published a wonderful article titled "Detecting Disease Through the Eyes" on July 15th. This couldn't be any more relevant.
The introduction reads:
"July 15, 2009 (WLS) -- Most people think of their eye examination as time to update their lens prescription or catch the beginnings of eye disease like glaucoma, but few people know
an eye exam can catch early signs of diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and brain tumors."Absolutely right! Few people realize that an eye exam can quickly identify so many life threatening diseases without being invasive at all. There are no needles involved, we won't strip you down and put you on a scale, and we certainly won't sit you in the exam room and make you wait 20 minutes for the doctor to arrive.
As the most prominent Indianapolis Optometrist and most well known Indiana Vision Center, Dr. Tavel is proud to say that our staff is highly educated and thoroughly trained to be positioned as the medical expert when it comes to eye care.
Let our family serve your family. Trust your vision to Dr. Tavel.
For the full article:
abclocal.go.com/wls/story
In considering the elements of eye care, terms can get a little confusing. Fear not! Dr. Tavel is here to help.
The Ophthalmologist: This individual is a medical doctor who specializes vision care. What differentiants this individual from regular vision providers is that he or she may perform eye surgery.
The Optometrist: This is the professional who specializes in eye examinations. During this exam the doctor will test for diseases, visual acuity, and prescribe premium contact lenses or glasses. (Dr. Tavel and his associates are Indiana eye dcotors aka "optometrists")
The Optician: These are the men and women that fill the doctor's prescription, fit glasses and lenses, and train the patient to use contact lenses. (In all of our Indianapolis Optical locations (You can find Dr. Tavel opticians smiling and ready to help in all of our state-wide and Indianapolis optical locations.)
Greetings from the mountains of North Carolina! For the last couple days I've been waking up, looking out the window, and seeing the beautiful blue ridge mountains. Its gorgeous. But, like everyone else who goes on vacation, I forgot something during the packing process... my sunglasses.You could say the eyeglasses Indianapolis is keeping from me for the week are on vacation too!
You would think, that since I deal with glasses and lenses and Indianapolis eye care every day that it would be rather difficult to forget such an accessory. Guess not!
I ran into a gas station to buy eye glasses to tide me over until the end of the trip and its just not the same! I miss my polarized lenses! They're a necessity, really.
Let me remind you of the benefits of a polarized lens:
Polarized lenses contain a specific filter that redirects scattered light into straight lines that enter directly into the retina. The result? Brighter more vivid colors, crisp and clear images, and significant reduction of annoying glare.
Wouldn't want to miss any details in a place like this, would you?
If you're unfamiliar with it, I suggest checking out Conner Prairie's "Symphony on the Prairie" presented by Marsh and Clarian Health. I've gone several times this summer, but I must say; this past time was the most adventurous.
It started pouring rain in the middle of our lovely picnic so my 2 friends and I piled underneath our giant rainbow umbrella as the weather forced our citronella candle to retire for the evening. (I took this photo prior to the monsoon... it was only sprinkling at this point.)
Anyway, as we watched the orchestra play songs of composers from countries around the world,
I noticed my eyes becoming very strained and tired. The stage was well lit, but everything around it was so dark that I found it rather difficult to sit and focus on the stage.
This is not uncommon! People come in to have an eye examination and complain about experiencing this same problem when
driving at night or performing other tasks in the late evening. Lucky for you, I work in Indianapolis eye care, so I have the solution to this problem. :)
The reason my eyes were becoming strained was
a result of the "halo" of glare created by the stage. This is exactly what happens with street lamps on the highway, headlights from other cars, or even the computer screen at work.
The solution is to have an Anti-Reflective coating on your eyeglass lenses. This coating ensures relief from tired eyes, relief from dangerous night time reflections, and relief from any glare causing situation that compromises comfort. The Anti-Reflective (AR) coating will ensure the clearest vision possible.
Any vision doctor will likely prescribe an
AR coating as a standard to prevent discomfort from every day glare. Next time you go to purchase glasses and lenses ask about the AR coating options!
Or feel free to contact Dr. Tavel with any questions about our available AR options.
www.drtavel.com/contact_us/
M –
Myopia: Nearsightedness. Condition determined through eye examination, in which a patient’s distance vision is blurred.
O – Optometrist: A vision doctor specializing in the functioning of the visual system, vision problems, treating vision conditions with spectacles, contact lenses, low vision aids and vision therapy, and prescribing medications for certain eye diseases.
P – Presbyopia: A condition found through eye examination that generally becomes significant around the age of 45 as a result of the loss of elasticity of the crystalline lens. Characterized by difficulty reading fine print, and thus a need for bifocals.
R – Refractive Error: Inability of the eye to properly focus (refract) light on the retina casuing a blurred image. Such an error can be fixed with eyeglasses or premium contact lenses.
S – Slit Lamp – A special microscope used by Optometrists to examine the internal parts of the eye including the cornea, lens, fluids, and membranes.
T – Tonometry: The measurement of the intraocular pressure. (The infamous air puff test performed before an eye examination.)
U – UV Coat: This protective layer is inserted into lenses to protect the eyes from harmful Ultra Violet rays from the sun.
V – Visual Acuity: Sharpness of vision produced by the eye.
W – Wall Eyes: Also known as “exotropia.” A condition characterized by misalignment of the eyes in which one eye deviates outward while the other fixates normally.
Have any more questions regarding vision terms? Feel free to ask Dr. Tavel:
www.drtavel.com/eyecare/ask_dr_tavel.php
Visiting a vision doctor? The following terms are helpful to know when dealing with glasses and lenses, an eye examination, premium contact lenses, and much more.
A - Astigmatism: a distortion of the shape of the eye where the eye appears more like a football than the normal basketball shape.
B – Bifocal: A type of lens that is separated into 2 viewing fields; one for distance and one for reading.
C – Cornea: the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber
D- Dilation: Drops are put into the eyes to allow the doctor to get a clear view of your retina, optic nerve, and vessels in the back of the eye.
E- Extraocular Muscles: six muscles that move the eyeball
F – Floaters: Particles that float in the vitreous and cast shadows on the retina; seen as spots, cobwebs, spiders, etc. Occurs normally with aging or with vitreous detachment, retinal tears, or inflammation.
G – Glaucoma: A disease of the eye having to do with offset pressure inside the eyes that damages the optic nerve. Known as the sneak thief of sight.
H-Hyperopia: Farsightedness. Farsighted people are able to see objects far away in focus but objects near are blurry.
I – Intraocular Pressure: The pressure inside the eyes.
K- Keratoconus: a disorder characterized by an irregular corneal surface resulting in blurred and distorted images.
L – Lazy Eye: Also known as Amblyopia. Decreased vision in one or both eyes without detectable anatomic damage in the eye or visual pathways. Usually uncorrectable by eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Its hard to believe, but summer is quickly passing! Next thing you know you'll be swamped with number 2 pencils, backpacks, and new khakis. While you're making the back to school "to-do" list, pencil in "Children's Eye Exam" at the top.
Nearly 1 in 4 children has an undetected eye problem that can hinder their performance in school and Dr. Tavel wants to ensure that its not your child. We understand that parents have a busy schedule even during the summer so our Indianapolis optical locations and 11 other locations across Indiana offer evening and weekend hours with our optometrists to ensure that you have time to come see us.
Schedule an appointment at
www.drtavel.com/schedule now to beat the back to school rush.
Kevin and I took a break from glasses and lenses and went downtown Friday to visit the American Dairy Association Ice Cream Social on Monument Circle in Indianapolis; lots of fun!
Not only did I get an awesome picture of Kevin with a cow from Purdue University's dairy farm, but I also got a really delicious ice cream sundae served to me by Marlin Jackson of the Indianapolis Colts! Talk about an awesome lunch...
Relevant to vision? Absolutely. There were tons of parents with their children running around in the summer sun, none of which had on any protective eye wear.
Think about this. More more than 75% of UVR passes through a child's crystalline lens, putting the retina at greater risk to adverse effects of UVR exposure... and less than one third of the children in the U.S are adequately protected against the sun. Is your child in the 2/3 being affected?
Any eye care doctors you speak with will tell you how important it is to ensure your child is wearing protective eye wear every time they go outside.
If you've been having trouble reading things up close, it may be time to consider first and foremost, an eye examination, and secondly, a pair of reading glasses.
Reading Glasses can be custom made and dispensed by Dr. Tavel or can be purchased in a "one size fits all" kind of way.
Whats wonderful about pre-made readers is that they are available in so many different styles, patterns, and colors, that you can comfortably go for a new look without risking a lot of money. Cheap readers allow you the freedom to buy eye glasses for every room in the house.
On the other hand, since they aren't custom made, pre-made "drugstore" readers can sometimes be more harmful than helpful. Many people need a different reading prescription in each eye, which means that you might only be helping one eye see more clearly. And, since the lenses are not made according to the measurements of the wearer's eyes, the optical center may be off center causing headaches and eye strain.
Your best bet is to visit your vision doctor and let him/her help you pick out the most appropriate readers for your eyes.
Do you ever get headaches or feel like your eyes are fatigued by the end of the day? If so, performing near-viewing tasks for extended periods of time may be causing excessive strain on your eyes. Its time to learn about Signet Armorlite’s brand new Kodak lenses with Anti-Fatigue Progressive Technology.
Working on tasks up-close causes a patient’s eyes to naturally drift outward, forcing the eyes to consistently work to turn the eyes back in. This process often leads to a number of symptoms including headaches, blurred vision, eye strain, double vision, burning and tearing, among others (all very valid reasons to see eye care doctors!).
Signet Armorlite has discovered a way to aid presbyopic patients (those patients who have trouble seeing near objects) who experience excessive eyestrain resulting from extended periods of near-viewing tasks by incorporating base-in prism into the reading area of a progressive lens. This addition assists the normal binocular function (the ability of the eyes to coordinate their activity) of a patient’s eye by naturally drawing the eyes inward which means that you can perform near-viewing tasks for longer durations and with less discomfort!
When it comes to Anti-Fatigue lenses, Dr. Tavel and his associates are the most well-trained and well-informed team in Indiana. Kodak Anti-Fatigue Lenses can only be prescribed by a vision doctor; if you have any of the symptoms, come in and see us for an eye examination. We’re happy to help.
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