Indiana Eye Center

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.

If I have to be open and honest (and I will be here) I am a bit of a hypochondriac.  Nothing too severe but I am definitely an over-thinker and worrier when it comes to major illnesses or health concerns.  Recently I read up on multiple sclerosis or as it is commonly abbreviated, MS.  I had heard about MS before in the media and just from being intrigued by the world of medicine and healthcare, but I didn’t really understand the disease until I looked further. 

After some research I found a connection with MS and eye health.  Vision symptoms such as blurry vision, complete loss of vision in one or both of the eyes, or pain during eye movement are connected to MS.  Other symptoms I found are fatigue, numbness in the face and body limbs, walking/coordination problems, sexual dysfunction, cognitive problems, bladder and bowel problems, spasticity or muscle stiffness and involuntary movements.  Someone with MS could have many of these symptoms or just a few which makes diagnosing the disease very difficult.

Looking deeper into eye health and MS, I found that optic neuritis can be one of the first presenting symptoms of MS and it is an inflammation of the optic nerve.  Optic neuritis typically affects one eye and the loss of vision may develop over a period of days to weeks which can be very scary.  A Dr. Tavel optometrist in Indianapolis or at one of our other Indiana vision centers can help detect symptoms such as optic neuritis as well as double vision or nystagmus.  Nystagmus is the involuntary rhythmically repeated oscillations in one or both eyes in any or all fields of gaze.  By performing a routine eye examination, optometrists can decipher if symptoms such as these may be related to MS or other diseases. 

MS affects the body’s central nervous system as communication between nerves is interrupted resulting in these varying symptoms mentioned above.  MS should be on my radar as a 20-something as adults between the ages of 20-40 typically are diagnosed with the disease although children and teens can suffer too.  My findings from my research just go to show me how truly vital it is to get a yearly eye examination for not only my visual health but my overall health!

Blog By: Lauren Tavel

Showing your farm animals or simply working at the state fair takes a lot of hard work. The past few days (weeks really) Indiana has been overwhelmed with humidity, heat advisories and bright sunlight while those Indiana farmers and state fair employees stand around the Indiana State Fair without air conditioning all day and night!

Last week when I went to the fair, I only got a hint of what they have to cope with every day. Everyone was squinting.  As I began eating my ear of corn and walking around with my Purifier polarized sunglasses on, I looked at everybody’s faces. Tinted lenses only reduce the amount of light our eyes can notice and help our eyes to avoid squinting, but they don’t block out that blinding glare. Why waste the money on sunglasses that don't completely work for you? Clip-on’s and Fit-over’s are a hassle to those who are on the move for most of the day like those at the fair. And that’s only the beginning of why Purifier polarized lenses are the way to go for sunglasses.

I have a friend that shows dairy cattle at the state fair. He knows polarized Purifier lenses are the best for all outdoor activities. His Purifier lenses change from a copper color to fight the road glare while driving providing sharper and clearer images on the way into Indianapolis, and then become a dark reddish brown color to better block the bright light when outside in the sun.  His sunglasses when outside help to create more vibrant and alive colors in the fair conditions while unloading his cows into the cattle barn. Polarized Purifier sunglasses also protect your eyes from harmful UV radiation.

Being at the fair all day, I noticed how much polarized Purifier lenses become a necessity around 6 o’clock as the sun sets. Can you imagine having to work all day in the blazing heat on top of the reflecting light off the pavement?  All of the garbage collectors, policemen and first aid workers at the fair riding around on the golf carts would benefit greatly from Purifier polarized lenses. Polarized lenses can help them get around the fair crowd safely. Without the glare, they would be sure not to hit anyone!

So bring on the sunshine Indiana and remember to wear Purifier polarized sunglasses at the fair! 

Fair ends on Sunday!  The bright sun doesn't leave when the fair does though so be sure to block the glare from your eyes and wear Purifier polarized sunglasses!
 

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!
 

I had my very first Indiana State Fair experience this week and what an experience!  I ate my way through the fair with good friends on one of the hottest days of the summer and loved it.  I was able to make the entire loop of the fair (stopping frequently of course for food items!) and I saw many neat things Indiana has to offer.  In the Ball State Ag/Hort Building I saw the state’s largest pumpkin weighing in at a hefty 736 pounds.

I walked by tables full of Indiana-grown produce like watermelons, apples, and peppers.  They were beautiful and looked delicious!  I also got to see crafty flower arrangements and award-winning spice/herb plants.  The growers behind these natural masterpieces spend a lot of time sowing their fruits, veggies, and plants outdoors in all kinds of weather conditions.

Typical tools for Hoosiers growing plants and vegetables such as those showcased at the fair are shovels, garden gloves, watering cans or systems in the case of the pumpkin, wide brimmed hats in sunny conditions, sunscreen, and ideally Purifier polarized sunglasses.  Purifier polarized sunglasses would make a world of difference for any Hoosier spending time outdoors in the fields, gardens, forests, etc. as these lenses block blinding glare.

Glare comes from the sun hitting the pavement and ground, bodies of water, and other outside objects and Purifier polarized lenses are able to omit all of this annoying glare and provide for clear sight outdoors-they are the only lenses to do so!  Lenses such as these protect the eyes from harmful UV-rays that are omitted on sunny days when sunglasses are a must as well as overcast days when you should also wear sunglasses.  By wearing Purifier polarized sunglasses eyes can better focus on the important stuff like the soil, roots, and coloring of plants/vegetables rather than annoying glare.

Dr. Tavel Indiana Vision Centers are equipped with sunglasses such as these for any Hoosier growing something green outdoors or going to the fair, enjoy the “Year of the Pigs” at the Indiana State Fair!

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!
 

School buses will start making their daily stops very soon here in Indiana as school doors open and summer officially ends.  For many students in Indianapolis school begins the second week of August and for many others like those in Anderson, Bloomington or Columbus, Indiana school will start shortly afterwards.

As backpacks are being brought out of their summer vacation spots and dusted off or newly purchased, many school supplies are being purchased to use for the long days of studying ahead.  Sports practices have begun which typically coincide with routine physicals to ensure student athletes are healthy to participate.  But what about the health of students eyes and routine eye exams?

Overlooked at times in this rush for back-to-school, vision eye centers and eye examinations should top the list for returning students as they prepare to hit the books and playgrounds for the school year.  Their eyes will need to be able to focus on academic material on the chalk board, text book, or computer screen.

A children’s eye exam can help detect if glasses or contacts are needed for reading or even prolonged use of a computer screen.  Nearly 1 in 4 students has a vision problem that could hinder their performance in school. Vision problems can be detected by a  member of Dr. Tavel’s team of eyecare doctors during a children’s eye exam and fixed with glasses or contacts.

Find a Dr. Tavel location near your school and make sure your student’s supply of sight is ready for school to begin!

 

Peanuts and cracker jacks…two things historically associated with baseball as well as mentioned in the ever popular song, “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.”  I don’t know about the cracker jacks or even the peanuts for a baseball game now a days as I’m more into ice cream personally but I do know if I am heading to a baseball park for an afternoon game I will wear my hat and sunglasses to block the sun (and to best see the baseball players of course!) 

Baseball players are looking like me wearing both hats and sunglasses when on the field to block the sun.  More and more baseball players are ditching the eye black paint to reduce glare from the sun and are putting on polarized sunglasses that not only reduce glare from the sun when trying to catch a ball but also protect the eyes from harmful UV-rays.  Polarized sunglasses have become the “in” piece of equipment for professional and amateur baseball players across the nation to wear during the many sunny games played throughout the spring and summer months.

Polarized sunglasses for baseball players tend to have the following qualities: strong UV protection (95%) to block the harmful sun rays, amber or grey tint lenses so that players can see balls mid-air or players clearly in the bright sun or on cloudy days, and polycarbonate lens material so that the glasses are shatterproof.   MLB players do not have any restrictions as to what types of sunglasses to wear but many wear those with the above qualities with wrap-like temples so that they stay on during moments of extreme movement or play.

Purifier polarized lenses, exclusive to Dr. Tavel, have all of these qualities and would be the best choice for any Indiana baseball star or fan (like myself) as protecting your eyes should be a top priority when you take yourself and others “out to the ball game.”

Dr. Tavel's Major League Give-Away is still in play!  Sign up to WIN tickets today at any Dr. Tavel location or here!