Eye Care Doctors

EyeCare America’s 3rd eye health myth honestly had had me worried a bit.  Myth 3: Using computers can damage your eyes.

Having just graduated and begun a job in marketing/communications, I am consistently sitting more and staring at my computer screen for most of the day as I am doing now writing a post for Dr. Tavel’s Vision Blog.  Most nights when I am home I tend to find myself staring at my personal computer screen communicating with family and friends via email, checking my social media accounts, paying online bills, or researching what is going on in Indianapolis the upcoming weekend. 

More screen time in my opinion than I used in college or more regular amounts of time staring at a screen as in college I had many lectures to listen too, books to read, and free time that I spent without a computer.  I am worried about my eye sight!

I need to worry no more as this myth is FALSE!  Looking at computer screens will not damage my eyes.  Whew!  Staring at a computer screen or doing close work like reading or sewing can fatigue our eyes, not damage our eye sight.  It also makes them dry as we tend to blink less. 

A solution for this? Take breaks from screens or close work for at least 15 minute intervals allowing your eyes to rest and refocus.  If this doesn’t completely fix the problem, Indianapolis optometrists and Indiana eye doctors may prescribe anti-fatigue lenses.

Anti-fatigue lenses literally do the work for the eye muscles so that fatigue is less apparent and eyes receive help focusing on the material on the screen or up-close.  Kodak’s anti-fatigue lenses are one of the industry’s best and can be found at Dr. Tavel locations.  Lenses such as these are perfect for students who use a computer (probably more than I did!), professionals like I am now, teachers or craftspeople needing to focus on close material often. 

Myth #3 dispelled! 

Dr. Tavel's Vision Blog would like to clear up a confusing eye health myth once and for all.
Eye Health Myth #2 from EyeCare America is something I again have been told growing up by my parents and this time grandparent’s too-eating carrots help your vision and eye sight.  This is TRUE!

My parents and grandparents were right with this myth as carrots do help maintain good sight.  Being rich in Vitamin A and beta-carotene, carrots help our eyes adjust to light from outside conditions to inside conditions as well as keep eye membranes moist for the best eye sight.  Vitamin A is commonly called retinol.

Not a carrot fan?  Nutritionists, Indianapolis optometrists, and eye care doctors across the state agree that there are plenty of other foods rich in both Vitamin A and beta-carotene to help your eye sight.  Other top sources of Vitamin A are egg yolk, cheddar cheese, and fortified milk.  Beta-carotene can be found in other fruits and vegetables with deep orange or yellow colors like cantaloupe, mangos, peaches, sweet potatoes, and apricots.  Pumpkins too have beta-carotene so as we enter into fall enjoy some pumpkin treats common this season to help your eyes.

Help dispel this myth and eat carrots!  Carrots may not completely be the answer though and you may need to buy eye glasses or contact lenses in Indianapolis or your home city to see clearly.  Carrots tend to be the best food though to help maintain good vision simply because they have both Vitamin A and beta-carotene.

Myth #2 is dispelled!

Welcome September!  I can’t believe summer is almost officially over and Labor Day weekend is here.  The month of September marks not only the end of summer but also “Save Your Sight” month.   EyeCare America, a nonprofit that offers eye health services to the medically underserved, has exposed five eye health myths in honor of “Save Your Sight” month and Dr. Tavel’s Vision Blog will take a deeper look into each.

The first up: reading, sewing or doing other close work in dim light can damage your eyes. FALSE! 

This is a myth I have believed for most of my life as growing up whenever I would read late at night or in dimly lit areas, my parents would comment about hurting my eye sight.  I even have caught myself telling friends to read in better light so as to not to damage their vision. 

But eye sight won’t be damaged when reading in dimly lit areas!  Eye muscles will be strained and fatigued though.   Reading or completing close work in full-light helps the eyes become less fatigued especially for older people completing these tasks.  The lenses in the eye age as we do and cannot change shape as easily. So although this myth is FALSE it is important to listen to parents and eye care doctors alike and read or complete close work in lighted conditions to help our eyes become less tired!
 

No one can quite beat one thing in life and that is aging.  We all may come from different backgrounds, have various likes, dislikes, and opinions but regardless of our multiple differences we all share the common ground that each day we grow older.  One of the inevitable facts of aging (beyond the grey hair and wrinkles) is cataracts which is the clouding of the eye’s lens.

Cataracts will most likely affect all of us after age 70 as Dr. Chi-Wah (Rudy) Yung, director of the comprehensive ophthalmology service at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute at Indiana University School of Medicine, said about one of the most common eye diseases where the eyes natural lens is clouded causing vision to be blurry.  Dr. Yung comments about cataracts and their risk factors in the Indianapolis Star article, “If you live to your 70s, you will likely develop cataracts.”

How can this common symptom of aging be fixed?  First, cataracts must be detected with a dilated eye exam which can be done by a vision doctor at an Indiana vision center.  A dilated eye exam will not only detect cataracts in the eyes but other eye diseases like glaucoma.  Having this done can determine whether a surgery should be completed or whether you should buy eye glasses with a higher prescription.  Both may be necessary but together they can help eliminate cataracts and save your vision.

Wearing sunglasses that block harmful UV-rays to protect your eyes, stopping smoking, and controlling blood sugar if diabetic are Dr. Yung’s as well as Dr. Tavel’s tips to prevent this aging eye disease (along with visiting your eye doctor of course!)
 

The sun is always shining somewhere and for residents of Indiana the sun is most prevalent in the summer months.  Sunglasses help protect the eyes from harmful UV rays that can cause blindness, cataracts, and other vision issues.  The best sunglasses to eliminate glare from the sun are polarized sunglasses and Drivewear polarized sunglasses top this list.  What makes these the best sunglasses is their ability to change for their wearer envrionment depending as well block glare.

Drivewear sunglasses’ three ambient light triggers make seeing outside with the sun easy and enjoyable.  Drivewear lenses become the darkest when in direct sun light to protect the eyes from extra bright conditions and strong UV rays.  Lenses turn a dark reddish brown to provide maximum filtration of the sun’s light.  These lenses filter bright light from outdoors especially excess light so that the eyes can focus when outside and be protected. 

Drivewear's third lens trigger makes colors pop such as green which is the most common color in nature making their wearer’s enjoy a brighter outside experience.  The polarization of the lenses eliminate any glare found when outside so that vision is at its absolute best.  Sunglasses that work for you, changing when you change making them the best sunglasses out there, Drivewear polarized sunglasses found at Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care!

Macular degeneration (AMD) was something I knew about before I entered the optical industry.  My grandfather has it and has personally been dealing with this life altering impairment for over a decade.  I first really understood my grandpa’s situation years ago when the family discussed buying a special reading machine for him as his vision was so poor that even the highest prescription of glasses could not help him see to read or enjoy sporting events on the television screen-his favorite pastime.

This was heartbreaking for him and our entire family as he struggled to recognize words on a page, street signs, and eventually even faces of his family and friends. According to Allaboutvision.com, 1.75 million American’s struggle alongside my grandfather with losing their vision from AMD as it is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness for older American’s.  It affects those  55 and older as dark spots (new blood vessels) form in the middle of the visual field making vision very difficult.

For my grandfather, the projection screen making text large enough to read and buying eye glasses with strong prescription lenses have helped him see.  For other American’s with AMD treatments like my grandfather’s aren’t enough so that a new device mentioned in Sunday’s Indianapolis Star article, “Device may improve sight,” might be their answer for better vision.  An implantable telescope has been approved by the FDA to be placed in the eye to replace the lens and thus reading and recognizing faces becomes much easier.

Only one telescope is inserted in an eye so that those with the impairment have the remaining eye to help them with peripheral vision which this implant cannot provide.  Those with AMD can be treated with these visual implants by vision doctors at 14 locations across the nation.  This implant will aid vision and improve the lives of those affected with AMD but sadly it is not a cure so that those like my grandfather will still have to cope with the overall affects of losing their vision which is devastating.

Preventative methods like annual visits to an Indiana vision center and eye examinations by eye care doctors can help in the care of aging eyes prone to AMD.  Being patient with those losing their vision is important and I have become the “eyes” for my grandfather at family events as we make the most of this vision impairment.

It’s the little things that matter the most, always.  Time and time again patients tell Dr. Tavel that it is indeed the little things done for them that make a difference in their experience with Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care and this is why they continue to come back year after year. 
 

In Shelbyville, it was Senda putting a patient’s needed lenses in another frame while a new prescription was made in his current frames.  The patient could not go without his glasses and was worried about the time he wouldn’t have them.  Senda and Dr. Tavel solved this problem by simply transitioning the existing lenses into another frame while the new lenses were being made to be put in the existing frames which the patient wanted to keep.  This small act made a world of difference for this patient as this patient said, “It is great to know that there are still places that care about their patients.”
 

In Fisher’s, it was Stephanie helping an anxious new dad whose glasses had been broken and he was unable to see clearly enough to drive home to New York.  Stephanie arranged it so that this patient could receive new lenses the same day from the Dr. Tavel Lab and he could be on his way home with his daughter.
 

It’s Dr. Kautzman who made an eye examination relaxing for a patient and answered all of the questions the patient had about his eye health and prescription.  By doing this, Dr. Kautzman helped this patient understand the importance of vision care and this patient walked away with new glasses helping him see clearly. This patient said, “My time with Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care was a strong experience that was relaxed and comfortable.  I am a patient for life!”
 

It is all of these little things and so many more that patients share with us about their Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care experiences that have made a difference.
 

Blog by: Lauren Tavel

Your eyesight is vital. As one of the five senses we value, it is important to care for your eye health and prevent any vision loss. The first step in doing so is choosing an eye doctor that’s best suited for your needs. Whether it’s simply scheduling annual eye exams to check for diseases and infections, or getting glasses and lenses or premium contact lenses, you want an eye doctor that is qualified, has the right training and experience, and offers the services you need.  An eye care doctor should be knowledgeable, and show genuine care for his or her patients’ health.

Either your optometrist (OD) or ophthalmologist (DO or MD) should be certified through an accredited medical institution and should be licensed to practice through the state board of optometry or state medical board. Out of Dr. Tavel’s twenty-two eye care doctors, we have twenty one certified optometrists and one ophthalmologist that are licensed to practice. Our Columbus eye doctors are optometrists as well as our Bloomington, Indianapolis and Anderson eye doctors.  Our ophthalmologist, Dr. Regenstreif, works at our Kokomo location.

But which one is right for you; an optometrist or an ophthalmologist?  Both kinds of doctors can help you take care of your vision and protect your sight for the future.  Optometrists specialize in vision services such as eye examinations, treatment of conditions like amblyopia and strabismus, and diagnose conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and conjunctivitis. Optometrists can prescribe medications for specific eye conditions, prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses and can aid in diagnosing eye diseases and injury prevention services.  An ophthalmologist provides complete vision care including eye exams, medical and surgical eye care for instances such as glaucoma, iritis, chemical burns, cataracts, crossed eyes, tumors, trauma and more. They can diagnose and treat eye conditions related to diseases like diabetes, arthritis or brain conditions, offer eye disease preventative services and some offer plastic surgery.

So which eye care doctor is right for you? Come in to any of our Indiana vision centers and talk to our doctors for more information on eye health. At Dr. Tavel we aim to do much more than correct your vision; we also help you protect your vision. We go beyond the standard eye exam because we care about your health.  Choose one of our many qualified eye doctors today!

Being new to Indianapolis, I am relatively a blank slate when it comes to the best of anything in the Circle City.  I have done my research here and there, have asked friends about their favorites be it for restaurants, nightlife spots, or hair salons but I still have much investigating to do to figure out the bests here in Indy.

IndyChannel.com is making my research efforts much easier by hosting “The Best of IndyChannel.com A-List for 2010” where there are categories for just about anything to be voted as “Best” in Indianapolis.  You can vote for numerous “bests” like the best barbecue, the best bowling alley, and the best eyewear.

Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care is thrilled to be recently nominated for the Best Eyewear in Indianapolis! Since 1940, Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care has been providing affordable eye wear and professional eye care to Hoosiers all over the state starting in Indianapolis. 

Help us become number 1! You can vote for Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care by visiting the A-List at the IndyChannel.com and find us under the Fashion Category-Eyewear.

Thank you for your support!
 

August is not only Back-To-School month but Cataract Awareness month.  Prevent Blindness America,  the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization, declared August to be Cataract Awareness month teaming up with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to better educate American’s about cataracts and to teach adults and children alike how to protect themselves and their vision from overexposure to the sun.

August, typically the hottest month of the year, is a time for last summer vacations to take place and days at the pool before kids gear up for another school year.  Protecting your eyes and skin is ever important this month as it is all year long.  A report from the EPA found that cataracts can be avoided through environmental protection efforts, specifically with reducing ozone layer depletion. 

Cataracts are the clouding of the eye’s natural lens as the proteins in the lens as we age can clump together and cause the lens to cloud and vision to become difficult.  Overexposure to the sun can cause cataracts so that wearing sunglasses and wide-brim hats when outside is vital to protect your vision. 

Twenty million American’s age 40 and older have cataracts and currently cataracts are the leading cause of blindness around the world.  Symptoms can vary per patient so that the best way to protect yourself is to visit your eye care doctor if your vision has become cloudy or blurry or light from the sun or headlights seem too bright or glaring. 

Protect your eyes and yourself today and tell someone you know about the danger of overexposure to the sun and cataracts.
 

The Indiana State Fair has much to offer visiting Hoosiers with its food, concerts, and rides.  This year the fair also has important information about your health and diabetes.  Diabetes, often times called the silent killer as its symptoms can seem harmless or not life threatening, affects 23.6 million American adults and children or 7.8% of the population-many of those affected living right here in Indiana.  Diabetes occurs when someone has high blood sugar and is unable to produce enough insulin to cope with the high sugar levels or cells do not respond to insulin provided.

Diabetes is a serious problem here in the Hoosier state and across America.  One serious symptom specific to Type 2 diabetes, adult onset diabetes, is blurred vision.  Those with blurred vision may attribute impaired vision to increased age and hold off on getting an eye exam.  Don’t.  Diabetes can be detected through an eye exam by a Dr. Tavel eye care doctor as well as cataracts and glaucoma-two vision diseases diabetics have a higher chance of getting.

The Indiana State Fair sees the importance of assessing Hoosiers for diabetes and its symptoms.  Each day in the Clarian Health Zone free diabetes risk assessments will be offered from 9am-7pm.  Getting these assessments can help decipher your health related to diabetes.  It is imperative that symptoms such as blurred vision are taken seriously especially with the possibility of diabetes.

Diabetics should have regular eye examinations to help manage symptoms and preserve their eye sight.  If you have experienced blurred vision or have a family history for diabetes, it is important to visit a vision eye center.  Make an appointment with a Dr. Tavel eye care doctor at any of our 20 locations and assess your health risks today for diabetes.

Contact lenses-a harmful medical device?  Apparently so according to a study released by the U.S.  Food and Drug Administration last week, contact lenses topped the list of medical devices causing injuries to children.  About 34,000 eye problems related to contacts were reported in the study which said 70,000 children go to emergency rooms each year from injuries and complications from medical devices.

Contact lenses, placed directly on the eye, were reported to cause infections and eye abrasions in children coming into the emergency room.  Injuries such as these are usually preventable with correct contact lens wear and compliance.  Contact lenses are overwhelmingly popular with younger crowds as they don’t make a sometimes dramatic fashion statement like glasses can.

Complying with contact lens wear is one of the ways injuries like those reported can be omitted.  Routinely cleaning lenses and not wearing them for prolonged periods of time reduces any risk for injury but sometimes tasks like these prove difficult for young contact wearers.  Allaboutvision.com offers a handy guide for contact basics and how to take care of your eyes when wearing contact lenses.

Children though may do best with daily disposable lenses that are easier to maintain as cleaning lenses is removed from their routine.  Lenses like these however cannot be worn for extended periods of time and must be thrown away.  Talking with your eye care doctor about lifestyle and expectations for your contact lenses can help choose which type is best for you and leave you injury free!
 

Blog by: Terrie Jackson, South Office

“I had a patient come in to our South Indianapolis Dr. Tavel Vision Center and order two pair of glasses, one for everyday use and one Purifier polarized pair for prescription sunglasses. The frames that the patient came in with were too small of frames for his face so the frames left indentions on his face.  This patient came into our office very upset about their current pair of eyeglasses (and rightly so!)

Together we discussed the issue and I told him that the frames he had chosen were too small for his face shape and would naturally leave indentions.  I showed him two larger frame options that would be a better fit for him to try.  Knowing what will work for a patient’s face shape and style is my job as an optician.  Gathering data from each individual patient is extremely important for me to help patients choose the right kind of eye wear for their needs.
 
This patient chose to go with the larger frames I suggested and this solved his problem of facial indentions.  Now this patient visits regularly to share with us how much his family and friends like his glasses and how he refers them to Dr. Tavel South.  We are happy to have this patient's needs met and are thrilled to have solved his vision problems.  It is problems like these that we work to solve each day at Dr. Tavel!”

Talk with a Dr. Tavel Optician today to best address your eye care needs for your face shape, lifestyle, and fashion!
 

Blog By: Lauren Tavel

End of July, beginning of August… it’s definitely school supply or dorm room shopping season. For those recent high school graduates, not only are many of you shopping for your first year of college, you’re shopping for a new home away from home. I learned this last year as I moved into dorms at Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) to begin my freshman year.  While I really wanted my dorm to look cool and fashionable, I learned quickly that you also want it to be practical.  After all, you will be doing a lot of your “living” in your dorm room like waking up for 8 am classes, hanging laundry, watching movies, eating snacks, studying late at night for midterms and writing ten-page papers for hours in a pretty compact space.  You want to make the most of it and fill your room with practical things.

So as important as it is to get plastic drawers, note cards, pens, a shower caddy along with towels, pillow shams and comforter, one of the most important pieces of advice I can offer an incoming student would be to get your eyes checked before school starts to help you see your awesome dorm room and of course all of your text books clearly. At IUB (and many other universities) the library is open practically 24/7, with few exceptions. I cannot count the number of nights I have spent sitting on the quiet study floor for hours staring at my computer screen and reading. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything I wanted accomplished and many hours of sleep were sacrificed for good grades. However the greatest time investment I made last summer was getting an eye examination by a Dr. Tavel optometrist. From getting a back-to-school eye examination, I was prescribed for glasses to help my eyes stay focused when they are tired to help avoid headaches when I’m studying late hours.  One of the best school supplies I bought were some fun glasses to fit my style. So while getting to your closest office supply store first for the best deals on pens, folders and planners before they run out is definitely a top priority with back to school shopping, be sure to stop in to Dr. Tavel and visit an eye doctor so you too can pick out the best looking eyeglasses and premium contact lenses before you go back to school.

Starting today at all Dr. Tavel locations you can get two pairs of glasses and an eye exam for $99.98-one of the best Back-To-School deals in Indiana! Get ready for a great year!
 

I want your love, and I want your revenge; You and me could write a bad romance.  Infamous song lyrics by pop-music artist Lady Gaga to the global chart topping hit song “Bad Romance;” a song that has helped make Lady Gaga one of the most popular artists today all over the world. 

Tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Gaga fans will get to see the American star perform in a show that according to the star’s website will still have the disco balls, hot pants, sequins, and stilettos, known favorites of Gaga, but with a more fine tuned approach and a fierce structure. 

Hoosiers are bound to hear the hit, “Bad Romance” tonight, a song that has many young fans risking their eye sight to mimic the star’s music video cartoon eyes.  Gaga’s eyes in the song’s music video appear to be large and circular, inspired from Japanese cartoons “Anime” and young girls everywhere are buying illegal contacts to make this fashion statement.

Called “Circle Contact Lenses,” these contacts cover a portion of the whites of the eye making the eye appear large and round like a cartoon’s.  According to an ABC News report, these lenses are not FDA approved which has many eye care doctors concerned about their popularity and usage, especially among young Gaga fans who are illegally buying the colored lenses online for $20 and changing them in and out like earrings.

Wearers of these illegal contacts run the risk of potentially losing their eye sight if worn for extended amounts of time or if fitted improperly which could scratch the cornea damaging vision. It is impossible to have these “Circle Contact Lenses” fitted properly as they are bought online and not prescribed through an optometrist.  Quite the risk for making a fashion statement, but one that many are making as they sing along Rah, rah ah, ah, ah; Roma, roma, ma; Gaga, ooh, la, la; Want your bad romance.

Cookouts, parades, fireworks, candy, and sparklers: all things related to the 4th of July, Independence Day, which will be celebrated by Americans this weekend.  A fun holiday celebrating America’s long-time Independence and freedom can often be the most dangerous for children and adults alike.  Many celebrations include fireworks, which can ignite unexpectedly or leave harmful remnants on the ground that are too enticing for children to pick up, causing serious injuries.  According to a report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2008, 5,000 Americans went to the emergency room during the July 4th holiday with 1,000 of these injuries being eye injuries.  Eye injuries included lacerations, contusions, debris in the eyes and burns.

Injuries like these and others can be prevented this weekend by attending firework displays conducted only by professionals and creating fun yet safe events for your family surrounding the holiday.  Prevent Blindness America, the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization, offers these tips to parents wanting to ensure a safer 4th of July holiday for their children:

• Make 4th of July rockets by using paper towel rolls, paint, streamers and paper cement.
• Make your own firecracker sounds by popping bubble wrap.
• Purchase non-toxic glo-sticks, glo-ropes and glo-jewelry that can safely light the night for kids.
• Have children design and decorate their own t-shirts and hats using glow in the dark paints.  Add puffy paints and glitter to make them sparkle. 
• Create your own noisemakers by banging wooden spoons on pots and pans.  Search your house for horns, whistles and bells and other items to create a marching band. 

If you do choose to ignite fireworks yourself this weekend, wear your glasses to protect your eyes.  Specifically shatter resistant polycarbonate lenses or trivex lenses will protect eyes from harmful sparks or objects that can be created from lighting fireworks.  Lenses such as these are perfect for children and active adults.  To see if these lenses would work for you or a family member visit one of our eye care doctors at any of our 20 locations in Indiana.

Remember your eye wear this weekend whether it is goggles for the pool, sunglasses for outside or glasses for igniting fireworks, protecting your eyes is just as important as protecting your skin.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July from Dr. Tavel!
 

School has been let out for the summer and if the month of July is anything like the month of June in Indiana we can expect HOT days and stormy nights.  Summer days for many kids are full of afternoons at the pool, playing outside, playing video games, and watching movies.  Days full of fun! 

But too much fun can have harmful effects such as sunburn, cuts and bruises, and from inside play like with video or computer games possible eye strain.  Video games are definitely a crowd pleaser among kids as they are typically interactive, molded to a player’s preferences, skill based, and can spark the imagination to a fantasy world by just the click of a button.  Too much “screen” time though can cause eye strain which can be induced by poor posture and lighting in a room as well as the extended time staring at a screen.

Eye strain according to ehow.com includes symptoms such as eye dryness, sore or itchy sensations, sensitivity to light, and blurred or double vision.  Children and adults alike are prone to symptoms such as these from staring at TV or computer screens for long periods of time, yet children’s increasingly excessive screen time use (peaking in the summer months) makes them much more prone to this kind of eye strain.  The recommended screen time use specifically for video games is one hour with breaks within the hour to avert eyes away from the screen to focus on something else. Taking these breaks will help reduce eye strain symptoms and possibly eye strain all together.

Best cures for eye strain?  Get up and go outside!  If inside, board games, books, arts and crafts can keep kids occupied with less focus on screens that cause the eye strain.  Visit an eye center.  By visiting an eye care doctor and getting an eye examination, eye strain can be reduced if glasses or contacts are needed and eyes can be checked to ensure proper sight for future video games and the other fun activities summer brings.  Also coming in for an eye exam this month ensures that once school begins again your student not only see’s properly at home with homework and fun video games but inside the classroom.