Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care is doing its part to help with the Haitian Relief Effort. Due to the massive earthquake that hit last week, many of the buildings have been damaged and personal belongings destroyed. As Indiana Eye Doctors, it only makes sense that we would help the best way we know how, with the gift of sight. We are asking that anyone who has an old pair of eyeglasses come into one of our 20 Vision Eye Centers to donate their used eyeglasses. We will be working with the American Red Cross to get these glasses to those in need.
It is estimated that over 4 million pairs of eyeglasses and lenses are thrown out in a given year in the United States. Rather than toss that old frame and lenses, come into Dr. Tavel or a Vision Values by Dr. Tavel optical location to donate these to someone in need. If you have a pair that you don't wear, bring them in. If you only have a frame, bring it in. We will accept any donation of used eyewear. Go to our locations page to find the nearest Indianapolis Optical or Indiana Optical store to you.
Dr. Tavel and his associates have decided to join up with local communities and speak at various "Dine With a Doc" events. These are free events that welcome local senior public to hear doctors speak once per month, presenting topics that are educational and informative for the participants.
In January, Dr. Elizabeth Johnson from the New Castle Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care is speaking at Hickory Creek in New Castle. Her topic is going to be cataracts, which is the leading cause of blindness. A cataract is the clouding of the lens. The lens of our eye is made out of water and protein and as we get older, the protein can sometimes clump together, which causes the clouding effect.
It is important for patients to have an annual eye examination to monitor this closely. At initial onset, it is possible to mitigate the effecs of cataracts by getting glasses and lenses with a higher prescription. Ultimately, cataract surgery can be a great solution for restoring vision. It is actually one of the most frequent surgeries performed, with over 3 million done annually.
As a parent of a 5 year old boy, I am acutely concerned about the vision development aspect. It is important to make sure my son doesn't spend too much time playing on the computer or watching TV and that he is spending time outside where his far vision is going to get the most stimulation. Not only is this healthy for his body to be playing outdoors instead of sitting on a couch, but it is also healthy for his vision.
This outcome of this study illustrates the increased need to have an annual eye examination. As we are spending more and more time at computers, using smart-phones with small text, etc, our vision is likely to get worse, which means we need to see our Indianapolis eye doctors on a regular basis to monitor our eye health and our vision needs.
Daily Disposables - These lenses are changed every day, which means that you get to put in a new pair each morning that is free from built-up deposits on the lens. People who suffer from allergies are also going to be more comfortable in these as any allergens that stick to the lens go away with a new pair.
FDA-indicated for dryness - CooperVision has a lens, Proclear, that is FDA approved for improving comfort due to dry eye.
Low Water Lenses - I used to think that I wanted a lens with a high water content to alleviate the dry eye issue. However, I found that lenses with high water content need to be in a moist environment so if your eyes are dry to begin with, these will essentially dehydrate.
As with any of this, I recommend you see your eye care doctor or Indiana optometrist for an eye examination and an accurate assessment of your eye health and vision needs. The best eye doctors (who can be found at Dr. Tavel, by the way) will provide you with an appropriate solution to your dry eyes.
This is a great award for an Indiana company that Dr. Tavel has done business with for years. While they are mostly recognized for their handbags, Vera Bradley also has a great line of eyeglasses. Dr. Tavel carries the Vera Bradley frame line in all of its vision eye centers across Indiana, which includes Indianapolis, South Bend, Elkhart, Kokomo, Anderson, New Castle, Muncie, Richmond, Bloomington, Shelbyville, Columbus, Terre Haute, Fishers and Greenwood.
The Vera Bradley eyeglasses are much like their handbags in that they have intricate designs that are very unique and fun, not to mention comfortable. It is no wonder they were named Vendor of the Year, with all that they have to offer.
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 reasons are two-fold: better eye health and better comfort. The reasons it is better for eye health are simple:
- Since you have to change your lens on a daily basis, this promotes good ocular health. Daily Disposables have the highest compliance rate of any modality at 94%.
- Daily Replacement means less deposit build up, reducing problems associated with this, such as GPC
- Daily disposables have the lowest infection rate since you are putting in a new, fresh lens every day
The reasons for better comfort are obvious as well. Putting in a new lens every day means you are getting a fresh lens with no deposit build-up, allowing for a more comfortable wearing experience.
If you haven't tried daily disposable contact lenses, please take some time when you see your Indianapolis Optometrist or Indiana Eye Doctor to discuss this modality and the benefits it can provide.
Dr. Tavel is pleased to announce sponsorship of Kappa Alpha Theta's Little 500 bike team at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Dr. Tavel will be providing all members of the sorority's team with Rudy Project Sunglasses to enhance their vision throughout the season of cycling events.
Rudy Project is a performance eyewear company that specializes in sports eyewear, and is especially well known among cycling enthusiasts. Each Rudy Project frame is made in Italy using the latest lens technologies and the lightest weight frames. All Rudy products are adjustable, comfortable and customizable, as well as tested and approved by athletes. Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care is an official Rudy Project vendor, which means you can get this great brand at any of our stores, including all Indianapolis Optical locations, our Anderson Vision Center, Columbus, Bloomington, Kokomo, Terre Haute, Shelbyville, Muncie, Richmond, Elkhart, South Bend, New Castle or on-line at www.drtavel.com.
The Little 500, an annual event produced by the IU Student Foundation, includes numerous bike teams from IU's fraternities, sororities, student groups, residence halls, and various other independent student teams. There are two races-- the women's race on Friday of Little 500 week and the men's race on Saturday. Both occur at the end of April. Kappa Alpha Theta founded the women's race and has won it four times along with numerous other top 5 finishes!
Our company is proud to sponsor such an involved and strong women's bike team.
We wish the team the best of luck this season and look forward to a strong series of cycling events with Kappa Alpha Theta! For more information on Rudy Project Eyewear, contact your nearest Dr. Tavel location.
The game was great, the atmosphere was fantastic and the show of support from local Indianapolis and Indiana residents was phenomenal. I ran into several friends at the game and some old college friends from South Bend and Elkhart that I haven't seen in years. The interesting part about the night was that more than one of my buddies brought up their health savings plans or flex spending accounts and were asking about getting in to use that before the end of the year. We are at the biggest football game of the year and these guys want to talk about their health insurance plans!
It shows you how important it is to use health benefits before they expire. The great part about these plans is that you can use them for many health related reasons, specifically eye care. These plans can be used for eye examinations, contact lens fit examinations, purchasing frames and lenses and purchasing premium contact lenses. One of my friends from Columbus, Indiana was planning on using more of his health savings for the baby they had this year. When they didn't use as much as expected, he now has some funds that HE HAS TO USE. The great part is that now he can come to Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care and get the prescription sunglasses that he has wanted for some time.
This is a great opportunity for anyone with a plan like this. Go see your Indianapolis eye care doctor or come in to any of our Indiana Vision Centers before the end of the year and we will be sure to take care of you.
It was a great fall day in Indiana and I got some sun, which is rare for early November. It got me thinking about how most people are unaware that extended exposure to the same harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that affect their skin can also harm their eyes. While outside on Saturday, all of the children's eyes were exposed to the sun's rays. Some of the parents on the sidelines had sunglasses on, while others were wearing hats, which are both helpful in blocking UV rays from reaching the eyes. When I am outside, I typically wear contact lenses that block UV rays and I also wear polarized sunglasses, which are great for absorbing and blocking UV rays, while also reducing glare from the sun.
The next time you and your children are playing outside, stay focused on the health of your eyes by wearing sunglasses, brimmed hats or premium contact lenses with UV blocking. If you don't have these items available, make sure you go to your Indianapolis Optometrist, Eye Doctor or a local vision eye center.
The Transition lenses of today are much more efficient. They adjust very well to lighting conditions, going from clear indoors to sunglass-dark outdoors. These lenses are great in that they change much quicker than they used to and the lenses will get very clear inside. The nice part about Transition lenses is that they also help reduce eye strain and fatigue as you don't have to squint so much once you walk outside into the sun.
I recommend that anyone who intends to buy eye glasses, and doesn't want to buy an additional pair of prescription sunglasses, give Transitions lenses a test drive. You will be surprised at how convenient these lenses are and how comfortable they are for your lifestyle (assuming you go outside!). The next time you see your Indianapolis eye doctor, ask him or her their opinion on Transition lenses and you will likely find that the best eye doctors recommend them.
This past weekend I went on an annual camping trip with a group of friends down to Jasper, Indiana. We have gone for seven years now and the trip has become pretty standard in that we drive down on Friday night, eat at The Chicken Place in Ireland, IN, then camp out for the night. We wake up on Saturday, hang around the campsite for a while, then go play a round of golf at Sultan's Run (which is a PHENOMENAL course if you haven't played it yet. See the 18th Green below). After golf, we head over to the Schnitzelbank restaurant for the finest in German fare before retiring again to the campsite to sit around the fire.
The advantage to using your FSA at Dr. Tavel is that you can use your pre-tax dollars on necessary vision services and materials, whether it be eyeglasses and lenses, premium contact lenses or an eye examination and a contact lens fit. The only potential disadvantage to an FSA plan is that you are typically going to face a 'use it or lose it' scenario whereby you have to use the funds in your account by the end of the plan period (in most cases the end of the calendar year). With Dr. Tavel, this is not a problem. We have 19 offices throughout the state of Indiana that are open on weekends and several late days throughout the week so you can be sure to find a convenient time for an appointment.
This was a great opportunity as we were able to screen vision for almost 100 of Duke's employees. The overwhelming outcome of these screenings is that most of the employees need to come to Dr. Tavel for an annual eye examination. While there were a few employees who regularly take advantage of their health care insurance and see their Indianapolis eye doctor, most people don't. There were several people who admitted they hadn't been to their Indianapolis optometrist in 5 plus years!
This never makes much sense to me. First, most employers like Duke offer vision insurance whereby employees can get an annual eye examination for free or for a nominal co-pay. Second, eye exams are so much more than just telling you what your error of refraction is. We had some people say they haven't had problems seeing so they haven't had a need to see an Indiana eye doctor. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about seeing Dr. Tavel. Our eye examinations are done by the best eye doctors and they examine for multiple common eye diseases as well as several age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy.
Overall, it was a great opportunity to partner with a great company and educate, inform and screen vision.
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.
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!
- eye pain or discomfort
- blurred vision
- colored halos around lights
- large amount of spots and floaters
- inflammation of eyelids and/or eyelashes
- sudden noticeable changes in vision
- weakening of color vision
- tunnel vision
- physical changes in the eye
Being around eye doctors and in our Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care stores, I hear all kinds of rumors and myths about eye care and products, specifically glasses and lenses. This is one myth that at one point might have been true years ago. The reality is that AR coatings have come a long way in terms of the technology that is used to create this coating. The current process is that the AR is put on the lens through a process of stacks so there are multiple layers of coatings that go on the lens, making it very resistant to wear and tear. In addition, most manufacturers of AR coatings will test their lenses with thousands of rub cycles back and forth to make sure the lens will stand up to cleaning and wear and tear.
So if you are staying away from an Anti-Reflective lens coating because you are afraid it is going to rub off, then you are staying away for the wrong reason. And if you want to buy the best eye glasses possible, then you will want to make sure AR is part of the package.
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