Snow Days and Subsequent Sun Days

By Dr. Joel Kestenbaum | March 5, 2009

Here we are.  It’s March 2, 2009 and spring is just around the corner.  We can all anticipate the warmth along with the beauty and the smells that come with budding flowers.  Surprise, we are having the biggest snowfall of the winter here in New York.  The children are enjoying their first snow day, as are many of their parents, including the author and staff of Optix Family Eyecare.
As I sit here relaxing on this snowy day, I think about the sunny days that will soon follow and the importance of protecting the eyes of my patients, both young and old.  I know that a wintry day is always followed by extreme sun glare and high ultraviolet light exposure.  Few people realize that the eyes are exposed to potentially damaging ultraviolet light equal to or greater than that of a sunny day at the beach.  It is my duty as an eyecare provider to educate my patients of UV’s harmful effects and offer ways to protect their eyes.

Sunglasses are the primary source of that eye protection.  Lenses must screen out UVA and UVB rays.  Lenses may be tinted or polarized but they all need UV protection.  It is also important to note that a child’s eyes need to be protected as well.  Statistics show that 80% of a person’s lifetime exposure to harmful ultraviolet light comes in their first 18 years. Parents must be educated so that they can offer eye protection to their children.

At Optix, we offer a wide selection of sunglasses, providing both protection and fashion.  What sets Optix apart from other eyecare providers is not the fact that we have styles from Gucci, Calvin Klein, Tiffany, Bvlgari and others.  What sets us apart is our staff.  Our licensed opticians have over 90 years of combined experience.  Add that to the almost 60 years experience of Dr. Joel Kestenbaum and Dr. Michelle Zalaznick, and you have experts that can act as both educators and patient advocates.  No eye care office on Long Island can boast this expertise.

So next time you’re relaxing on a snowy day, remember that sunny days will follow.  At Optix, we’ll look after your family, one sunny day at a time.

Enjoy your day.
Dr. Joel Kestenbaum

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Valentine’s Day

By Dr. Joel Kestenbaum | February 13, 2009

Valentine’s Day is a day of affection and a day to show your love for someone that is important to you. For the majority of people it is a day to exchange gifts of love and kindness and talk to their friends and family about the beautiful gifts they received and gave to the people they keep so close in their hearts.

We know you are tired of getting a heart shaped box of chocolates and even more so, you are sick of hearing about heart shaped boxes of chocolates!!

Well Optix is here to help you out and make sure this Valentine’s Day is a memorable one. Considering that the Spring is right around the corner and Valentine’s Day is this Saturday, why not buy your loved one a pair of beautiful and stylish sunglasses?

Optix carries the best brands like Prada, Prodesign, Versace, Marc Jacobs, Juicy, Coach, Ray Ban and Nike.  And considering that sunglasses are a bit out of season, prices could not be more affordable!

Now back to the Valentine’s gift ideas!

Coach and Juicy are two brands that have many styles of sunglasses with hearts and other symbols of love. What’s more is that these brands both come in a flashy pink color that is perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Now if pink frames and hearts are not what your loved one is looking for, then come on in and check out the rest of our EXTENSIVE sunglass collection. When you come to Optix you’ll leave seeing at your best.   Our trained expert eyewear technicians will help you make that perfect choice of eyewear.

So put down that box of chocolate in your hand and come in to Optix Family Eyecare in the Woodbury Plaza Shopping Center next to Trader Joes.

Your loved ones will be so thrilled with your thoughtful gift that keeps their eyes healthy and has them looking fantastic for the upcoming sunny weather!

From everyone here at Optix, have a wonderful Valentine’s Day! We love you all…

-Team Optix

OPTIX- Serving Plainview, Woodbury, Old-Bethpage, Jericho, Melville, Roslyn, Hicksville, Syosset and the Long Island Community!

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Solomon Schechter Fundraising Art Auction

By Matt | January 9, 2009

Here at Optix we are all about giving back to the community. We want to make the area a better place to live for its residents.

So when The Solomon Schechter Day School/Solomon Schechter High School of Long Island came in to tell us about their fundraiser program we where quick to get involved.

Solomon Schechter of Long Island is a non-profit Jewish day school serving Long Island for quite some time. They currently have over 550 students enrolled in grades K – 12.

The Solomon Schechter Schools of Long Island’s rich heritage is the result of the dream of a few special people. In the days when Nassau County lacked an educational center for Conservative Judaism, a dedicated group of families had a vision, took a chance and started a day school in 1967. The original home of this small, but vibrant and quickly growing school was Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn.

Like any organization, Solomon Schechter needs money.

On January 31st, 2009, the Parents’ Association is holding their third annual Fundraising Art Auction. This wonderful event is fully supported by everyone here at Optix and we felt it necessary to help out the students of Solomon Schechter by donating eyewear for their auction.

On Monday, January 5th we gave Solomon Schechter roughly $400 of merchandise to help in their efforts. This included 2 pairs of Michael Kors sunglasses and various cleaning supplies to care for these sunglasses.

Through the years, OPTIX has donated thousands of dollars in cash and eyewear to various charities and organizations, including Lions Club, Local PTA’s, Churches, Synagogues, YMCA’s and Schools.

We look forward to giving back to the community in the future.

Matt Geller – Intern
Optix Family Eyecare Center
431 South Oyster Bay Rd.
Plainview NY 12803
(516)931-6330

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Choosing Optometry as a Career

By Dr. Joel Kestenbaum | January 4, 2009

Choosing Optometry as a Career

There was an article recently in the US News and World Report entitled:
“Best Careers 2009: Optometrist” by Marty Nemko posted December 11, 2008.

The article got me thinking as to why I chose to become an optometrist.  First of all, and most importantly of course, my Jewish mother wanted me to become a doctor.  With that in mind and having had some of my own issues with my eyes as a child, my curiosity about the profession was piqued.  So while in college, I volunteered at the local association for the blind, meeting some very interesting people, many with multiple disabilities. This further enhanced my curiosity.

The fact is, I never wanted to go to medical school but for some reason, optometry school seemed interesting to me.  Optometry involves working with people.  It involves math, physics and biology, all of which I enjoyed and was good at.  And optometry provided an opportunity to make a good living without having to be on-call at all hours of the night.

I’m a practicing optometrist since 1980.  I run my own practice seeing about 20 patients a day whose visits range from pathology to laser vision correction (Lasik pre and post-op) to the routine primary eye health exam.  I meet all different types of people making for very interesting conversation.  I chose contact lens care as my specialty and have provided thousands of people, young and old, with the ability to see clearly without eyeglasses.  I have discovered and treat hundreds of patients with glaucoma.  I have discovered and referred to specialists, patients who unknowingly had diabetes, brain tumors, hypertension, high cholesterol and a plethora of other diseases.

I am a businessperson too, employing a second optometrist who also sees about 40 patients per week and 5 opticians who help people choose their eyeglasses.  We have a total staff of 9 full time equivalents.  And yes, eyeglasses and eyeglass fashion is a large part of our practice.  I am my own boss, take vacations when I choose… with no limits except for the ones I put on myself…get very few calls at 2AM for emergencies, and make a very nice living ….more than most optometrists or other medical professionals.

Why? Because we’re nice to the people we treat, we care about the people we treat, and we maintain good relationships with ophthalmologists and other doctors so that we may provide excellent patient care.  It was always my goal to become “the practice” in the area that patients will ask for… and we have far exceeded our goals.  We are a high technology office, constantly striving to be the best at what we do by providing excellent patient care and continuing education for our staff and for our patients.

And even though my mother wanted me to be a doctor, excellent patient care is the main reason to become an optometrist, isn’t it?
So did I choose my career properly and am I satisfied with my job as an optometrist?
The answer is a resounding YES.

Joel N. Kestenbaum, OD
Optix Family Eyecare Center
Plainview, NY
516-931-6330

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Sunglasses – Not Just For Fashion

By Dr. Joel Kestenbaum | December 5, 2008

Sunglasses have become the hottest fashion accessory. No longer just for summer, they are also an everyday necessity. Just like eyeglasses, it is important that you choose the best possible quality pair while maintaining your own style.

What makes a quality pair of sunglasses? You would be surprised to learn that those glasses you got on the street can actually be worse for eyes than wearing nothing at all. These cheap sunglasses block some of the light, causing your iris to open to allow more light in. This lets in more of the UV light as well, increasing the damage UV light can cause to the retina.

Spending a little more on superior glasses may save your eyesight in the future. Buying those glasses from a qualified eye care center should put your mind at ease about what you’re getting.
These are the things you should look for in a good pair of sunglasses:

UV Protection – without getting too technical, sunlight (contains UV light) is a high energy light that can damage your retina and cornea. You need 100% protection.

Lens Tint- based on what activities you plan on using the glasses for. For example, gray tints are all purpose and are best for driving, while yellow or gold tints reduce “blue haze” and are best for snow sports.

Special Coatings or Features – these include polarized (glare reducing) and photochromic (Transitions)

Frame/Lens Design – styles such as wraparounds block extra light from sides and below by sitting close to your face; they are the favorite of snowboarders and water skiers.

Style – luckily, you can get all the qualities you are looking for in a variety of styles and brands. By choosing an eye care center instead of the kiosk in the mall, you will find someone qualified to help you find a pair that fits your face and your style.

In addition, quality sunglasses also provide you with the greatest clarity while minimizing any object distortion.

Come on into Optix and we will help you to pick out a pair of sunglasses that will fit YOUR way of life!

OPTIX- Serving Plainview, Woodbury, Old-Bethpage, Jericho, Melville, Roslyn, Hicksville, Syosset and the Long Island Community!

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Holiday Discount!

By Dr. Joel Kestenbaum | December 4, 2008

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Fashion Eyewear Part 1 – Sunglasses

By Matt | November 25, 2008

Today we have a guest writer by the name of Matthew Geller, a Pre-Optometry student who will be attending SUNY Optometry in August 2009 to get his Doctor of Optometry Degree. Matt will be presenting a four part series on Fashionable Eyewear to let readers all over the world know about the inherent value behind owning a great pair of eye glasses or sunglasses. Sit back, relax and enjoy and if you have any questions, just click the Contact Us Link. We would love to hear from you!



Whether its fall, winter, spring or summer you can walk the streets of your neighborhood and find dozens of people wearing extremely attractive sunglasses. Although it may not be hot outside, the sun sure does shine no matter what the season. Fashionable companies like Bvlgari, Prada, Gucci, Coach, Ray Ban, and Tiffany have been raising the bar when it comes to designing sunglasses that make you look mysterious yet beautiful.

Optix

Personally I have seen it all when it comes to buying sunglasses. From the big commercial businesses to outstanding, private practicing optometrists with high quality optical boutiques; there is a wide range of places to get your sunglasses. I have actually been ALL OVER THE WORLD and I have shopped for sunglasses in places like Venice and Milan Italy, Paris and Cannes France, Spain, and even Monaco. That’s right I have seen it all yet I learned one very important thing. Make your investment in a pair of sunglasses with your local independent optometrist that specializes in high quality optical products. Places like Optix Family Eyecare offer service, warranty, quality, and hundreds of frames to pick from. But the most important factor is as follows: the staff of eye wear experts will spend hours and even days with you to make sure you get a pair of sunglasses that was literally created for your face and those beautiful eyes. Unlike large commercial sunglass stores that act as if they were the local grocery store for sunglasses with that “get in, get out” mentality, Optix Family Eyecare is here to spend quality time with you to make sure you leave looking great and feeling confident.

An article written this summer by Ruth La Ferla in the New York Times let the world know about the world of fashionable sunglasses. Ruth sums up what fashion sunglasses are all about by saying how “sunglasses have taken on the allure of shoes, bags and jewelry, as consumers look to coordinate with outfits.” Her point is well understood by readers who understand the value of a great pair of sunglasses and those who are in the business to distribute top of the line eye wear.

Photo By: Joe Fornabaio for The New York Times

Now I believe there are 2 types of sunglasses. There is that pair that you put on, yet you’re not that confident with the way you look, so you are quick to take them off or wear them up on your head. Then there is that pair where you know, 100%, beyond the shadow of a doubt that you look HOT, so you really get maximum use out of your sunglasses, feeling very confident. The latter situation is the pair of sunglasses that YOU want to invest in, the pair that is right for all occasions and the pair that brings out your best physical qualities. It may be hard to find that right pair but trust me, with a little advice from the experts, you can find it.

I can sit here all day and tell you all how important it is to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays that the sun spits out, literally frying your retinas like an egg in a frying pan. Yet that requires a whole different article and I am here to talk to you about sunglasses and why EVERYONE is beginning to invest in that great looking, fashionable pair.

For the females, designer sunglasses are replacing the expensive handbag and rising to the top of the latter when it comes to sexy accessories. Living my last 4 years on a college campus, I have seen the dramatic rise is girls investing in numerous pairs of attractive sunglasses. During my freshman year the numbers were low but now that I am a pre-optometry student in my senior year I cannot help but to recognize the plethora of unique sunglasses that are making these girls look very stylish. Yet I must shine the light on all age groups seeing as how the right pair of designer sunglasses will make any woman feel confident and look great. I have helped countless women, from 13 years of age to 85, pick out a pair of sunglasses that look so good; the mirrors in the Optix boutique begin to fog up. These individuals leave the store feeling soooo confident that other people in the shopping area can’t help but do a “double take” when they pass by.

For the males, designer sunglasses show that you have true style. Yet guys need to know that they must pick out the right pair of shades that fit the shape of his face correctly. Plain and simple, sunglasses will give a guy that manly and dominant look that will make him look handsome. Besides looking around at your friends and people in any social setting, check out some of Hollywoods finest actors or singers. Guys like Brad Pit and George Clooney know that the right pair of sunglasses makes them stand out and look sharp. Even the best athletes like Tiger Woods wears the freshest pair of Nike’s both to stand out and to play above par when the sun beats down of the green golf course. Plain and simple, sunglasses are a necessity if you are a guy who is in tune with his image and knows what it takes to look good.

Anyone who has worn a great pair of sunglasses can NEVER go back to sunny conditions in the car or walking the street without their shades. This summer I bought a pair of Polarized Prada Sunglasses at Optix Family Eyecare. Now that I have habituated myself to wearing them, I cannot leave the house without my Prada’s. They reduce glare directly from the sun, and they take away all those blinding reflections from cars and street signs that are extremely dangerous when driving.

So come on in to our Plainview location, next to Trader Joes, at 431 South Oyster Bay Rd to pick out a pair of sunglasses that will literally change the way people SEE you!

Tune in next week for the follow up article about specific sunglasses and what’s hot and what’s not!

-Matt Geller

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Twitter!

By Dr. Joel Kestenbaum | November 17, 2008

Optix Family Eyecare just got twitter!
Check us out.

Just so you know – we also have Facebook!

See you there!

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Choosing An Eye Doctor

By Dr. Joel Kestenbaum | October 24, 2008

How do you choose your eye doctor?

As a matter of routine I always ask my patients, “How did you find my practice?”

As one might expect I get various answers.
-My friend or neighbor referred me.
-I found you on my vision or insurance plan.
-I shop in the area and saw your sign.
-You’ve been here a long time and I knew you were here.
-I searched the internet and you were the closest to my home or work.

Something that more and more patients are telling me is “I did my research, went to your website, and found out that your office has the latest technology to provide a thorough exam and quality eyeglasses and contact lenses for me and my family.”

Does technology always mean that you are getting an eye doctor with the best bedside manner?
The answer is no…… so ask to interview the doctor.

See if he or she will call you back in a timely manner and answer your important questions.  Usually the office with the latest technology has a doctor and staff that is the most educated and can provide a high quality of eyecare and eyewear.  Remember too, that the doctor and staff’s professional experience is very important when it comes to choosing your eyecare provider.

Has the staff been with the doctor a long time or is there large staff turnover? This alone can tell you about the care and experience you can expect to receive.

Call or visit the office……interview the staff…..get your answers……compare the cleanliness, mood, homey feeling and technology to where you’ve been before and then make an informed decision as to whether you want that office and staff to provide for your eyecare needs.

At Optix, our staff has a minimum of five to 24 years experience with us.

Come visit or call 516-931-6330.
Remember to visit our website at www.optixeyecare.com

We look forward to seeing you.
Joel N. Kestenbaum, OD

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Healthy Computer Vision

By Dr. Joel Kestenbaum | October 11, 2008

Healthy Computer Vision – Optix Family Eyecare Center

Every day the doctors at Optix Family Eyecare Center see patients who complain of blurred vision and burning or itchy eyes. When these patients come in for eye exams, we find that more often than not, these people are spending overwhelming amounts of time sittingOptix Computer Vision in front of the computer at work and at home.  They are developing computer vision syndrome (CVS).

The Optix team is here to let you know a little bit about how you can maintain healthy vision while still getting your work done in front of that screen.

We all are in the habit of brushing our teeth everyday and showering to maintain excellent hygiene. Yet practicing healthy computer vision hygiene is just as important, and its results can dramatically improve your comfort and productivity at work.

Now we are not saying get out the toothbrush and brush your eyes, but we are here to offer you a few simple steps to keep your vision healthy while using your computer.

Let’s use the “Optix Family Eyecare 20/20/20 Rule”
What’s with all the 20’s?

Well it goes a little something like this.

  • 20 minutes using the computer- in which you focus intently upon the screen.
  • 20 second break – take a 20 second break after you have focused on the screen for 20 minutes
  • 20 feet away – focus your eyes upon something roughly 20 feet away for this 20 second break.

The Optix Family Eyecare 20/20/20 rule is one way to maintain healthy eyesight.

What happens if you use the computer for long periods of time without a break?

  1. Headaches
  2. Neck and upper back aches
  3. Blurry vision during and after computer use
  4. Eye strain, possibly causing changes in vision
  5. Burning, itching and watery eyes
  6. Overall loss of short-term focus until eyes adjust.

So how can you resolve these issues besides using the 20/20/20 rule?

  1. Overall you want to minimize your eye, head and neck movements to prevent strain.
  2. Angle your computer monitor so it is at the same angle as the material being typed. Ideally, the screen should be at a 15 degree angle down from your eyes.  Attach a paper holding device to your screen if you spend a lot of time in front of the screen.
  3. Upgrade your monitor to an LCD screen. These screens usually have an anti-reflective surface. Older CRT screens have a noticeable flickering of images on the screen that may cause eyestrain.
  4. Use comfortable furniture to maintain a very comfortable position, one in which you are not constantly shifting around to see the computer screen.
  5. Glare screens not only filter UV radiation, they allow for a perfect focus situation where you are not bothered by the reflections around the work place.
  6. A tint on your eyeglass lenses may reduce glare and reflections.

With the right habits and a quality computer setup you can increase your work efficiency and maintain excellent eye health.
We hope that you use these tips to improve your vision and keep your eyes healthy!

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