Eyeglasses Indianapolis

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!

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!
 

A Dr. Tavel patient tells of his experience getting an eye exam:

"I visited the Dr. Tavel Vision Center in Fishers, Indiana. I had scheduled an appointment for an eye examination and I wanted to get new eyeglasses. I was not necessarily worried about going in for an eye exam as I have always had bad eyes, but I haven't had an eye examination in a few years and the last time I went to an optometrist in Indianapolis (this was my first time at Dr.Tavel) was a fairly bad experience.

Once I arrived and filled out the mandatory paper work, the doctor, Dr. Kautzman, invited me back to the exam room. He was simple and to the point, but presented a fairly relaxed examination. I didn't feel pressured or rushed to answer his questions. He also was more than willing to answer my questions about each test during the examination. My Dr. Tavel experience was relaxed and laid back, but it still maintained a high level of professionalism, which led me to believe Dr. Kautzman had done his job correctly, and that I was walking out with the right pair of lenses.

After the examination, one of the friendly opticians helped me choose the right frames. She offered numerous ideas, and asked a few questions to help present a few brands of frames that fit the style I was seeking. All in all, my time with Dr. Tavel in Fishers was a strong experience that was relaxed and comfortable. I am a customer for life!"


Have you had an experience like this one getting an eye exam?  Tell us about your Dr. Tavel experience here!
 

Blindness or low vision affects 3.3 million Americans over the age of 40, or 1 in 28. This figure is projected to reach 5.5 million by the year 2020. The study identifies age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataract and diabetic retinopathy as the most common eye diseases in Americans age 40 and over.

Worse yet, another study shows that most Americans don’t know the risks and warning signs of diseases that could cause blindness. In the "Survey of Public Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Related to Eye Health and Disease," sponsored by the National Eye Institute and the Lions Clubs International Foundation, 71 percent of respondents said that eye sight loss would have the greatest impact on their day-to-day lives, but only eight percent knew that there are few early warning signs of glaucoma.

The answer is pretty simple, get in to see your Indianapolis or Indiana eye doctor and follow the mantra of "check yearly, see clearly."

To celebrate Dr. Tavel's newest Indiana Vision Center, we are offering a Grand Opening Contact Lens Sale at all Indianapolis Optical locations as well as all Vision Eye Centers across Indiana.  This sale is spectacular for anyone who currently wears premium contact lenses or for anyone who is interested in wearing contacts for the first time.  For $99.98, we are offering the following:

• Comprehensive Eye Examination
• Contact Lens Fitting Exam
• 2 boxes of Acuvue Oasys premium contact lenses
• One month supply of contact lens solution
• Fashion Sunglasses

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. 

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.

The other night, I went down to Conseco Fieldhouse to check out the WNBA Indiana Fever game and support the local team.  As a self-proclaimed basketball junkie, I love watching these women play and I truly enjoy seeing how passionate the fans in Indianapolis are about their basketball teams. 

While at the game, I was talking to another fan and he informed me that he has been a patient of Dr. Tavel for over 20 years.  He informed me that he has been going to the Greenwood Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care for a long time to get his eyes examined and to buy eyeglasses.  My first question when I talk to a Dr. Tavel patient is always "How was the service?"  The reason is that I know patients can get glasses and lenses anywhere and with on-line options for contact lenses, they can go even more places for that.  If we aren't providing excellent customer service, we aren't doing our job and we are going to lose our patients to a competitor.

The good news is that he was very happy with the service provided.  As tends to happen, he accidentally sat on his glasses and needed them to be adjusted.  He explained what happened to one of our opticians and she quickly fixed the glasses so they fit right again.  He told me that it was done as a complimentary service at no charge.  It is always good to hear from Dr. Tavel's patients, especially when they see the vision values that our eye doctors and staff provide. 

The key to this experience is that people talk and they are more than willing to tell others about their experience, whether it be positive or negative.  To have been in business as long as we have at Dr. Tavel, we know that our success as Indiana Eye Doctors lies in our ability to provide eye examinations and customer service that far exceeds our customers expectations.

There was a great article in 20/20 magazine called “Kids VS. The Computer Screen” not too long ago that really emphasizes the importance of children’s eye exams. As technology has begun to play an increasingly present role in our society, children are spending more and more time looking at computer screens and TV screens.

This poses a new threat to the ocular health of children. As children stare at the screens to check facebook, e-mail, play video games, etc. they tend to blink less causing dryer eyes and sometimes blurred vision. This can cause the crystalline lens of the eye to get “stuck” in the near position and make it difficult for distance viewing. As a result a child would need a little plus power in their eyeglasses. Detection of this issue requires a thorough eye examination by a vision doctor.

Dr. Tavel locations around Indiana take pride in their ability to provide extensive children’s eye exams as well as fashion frames (PEZ, Jalapeño, Major League Baseball, Kidco, and more!) for kids of all ages. Our locations have the best eye doctors and highly professional staff all across Indiana; from South Bend, to Indianapolis, right on down to Bloomington and Columbus.