Okay…..It’s almost spring time.  It’s the time you’ve been waiting for.  It’s golf season.  The pro’s are on TV every weekend, Tiger is on the prowl, and now and you’re starting to get the itch. 

Who am I kidding?  I am starting to get the itch.  I love golf.  I take the game very seriously….. seriously enough to make sure I am seeing the ball as well as I can.  Within the past year, I started wearing contact lenses for golf.  Even though I see well enough in the office, I have found that I needed an extra edge for my passion.  And it really worked.  My putting improved because I can read the greens better.  My short game improved due to better depth perception.  And guess what?  My handicap improved too.

Is this all due to contact lenses?  Probably not.  But lenses did help improve my overall vision.  This was one less thing for me to think about so I was able to concentrate on my game.

So what contact lenses are best for your golf game?  It all depends on your individual needs.  For me, a single use or one day disposable was perfect.  I wear the lenses for about 5 to 8 hours and then I am done.  I remove the lens, throw it away, and take a fresh lens the next time I play.  I keep a few lenses in my golf bag, my car, my travel kit, my bowling bag, and my tennis bag.  Did I mention that contact lenses are great for other passions?

Call (516) 336-8787 if you would like a consultation.

Hit em straight.

Joel Kestenbaum, OD
Optix Family Eyecare Center

See well, feel good, and look good.

These are not the three stooges.  These are the three requirements that contact lens wearers should be aware of at all times.

Most people choose to wear contact lenses for cosmetic reasons while others choose them for use in sports or work environments.  As an optometrist, I am always counseling my patients in the safe use of contact lenses.  I am constantly asked if contact lenses are safe to sleep in.  The answer is yes and no.  It depends on the material that the contact lens is made from and how much oxygen the contact lens delivers to the eyes.  There are three basic types of contact lenses, soft, gas permeable, and hybrid (a combination soft and gas permeable).  Within each type there are many different materials.  

For instance, soft contact lenses may all look alike, however they can be very different. 

-Some provide more oxygen to the eye, some do not provide enough. 
-Some absorb more water, some less. 
-Some are easier to handle, some less.
-Some may feel wetter on the eye and some may dry more quickly. 
-Some protect the eyes from UV rays, some do not. 
-Some may correct astigmatism better than others.
-Some provide better vision for those in need of bifocals, some do not. 

The lens that is the best for you should be determined by your eye doctor and not by consumer driven commercials for contact lenses.

I have a saying…

“I love my contact lens patients but I want to see them as little as possible.” 

What do I mean by that?  I attempt to fit my patients with contact lenses that will keep their eyes in a healthy state.  They should see well, look good and the contacts should feel good.  In my opinion, daily disposable or single use contact lenses are the safest lenses a person can wear.  They are fresh each time they are worn, rarely get any type of build-up of mucous or other debris on the lens, and are never exposed to the chemical cleaners and preservatives that can cause eye irritation.  These lenses are the only type approved by the FDA for patients with seasonal allergies.  Rarely does a patient who wears daily disposable contact lenses call my office with a red eye emergency.  

Two week and monthly replacement lenses are also available for daily use but need to be cleaned with a chemical disinfectant and replaced on a schedule advised by your doctor.  The problem is that most wearers forget to replace their lenses on the recommended schedule and many call the office with red, irritated eyes as a result.  These contact lens wearers tend to be the worst abusers of contact lenses.

Certain contact lenses may be worn overnight and some for up to 30 consecutive days.  Extended wear of contact lenses means extended care.  As a general rule, the longer the lenses are in your eyes, the greater the risk of infections like pink eye and corneal ulcers.  These conditions often require extended medical treatment and preclude the use of contact lenses for extended periods of time.  The extended-wear patient must constantly be aware of how their eyes look in a mirror, how the lens feels, and how they are seeing with them.  Lubricating eye drops should be placed in the eyes for rewetting and cleaning the lenses at least two to four times per day.  They require a lot of monitoring to maintain proper eye health.

So you see, the easiest and safest lenses are daily disposable.  They will keep your eyes looking good, seeing well and feeling their best. 

For more information, call Optix Family Eyecare Center at (516)-931-6330 or you may visit our website www.optixeyecare.com.

-Dr. Joel Kestenbaum

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

“My contacts are uncomfortable.”
“I’ve tried contact lenses with another doctor and was told I can’t wear them.”
“I have an astigmatism.”
“I am old and need bifocals.”
“I’m lazy and don’t want to bother putting on contacts.”
“I’d like contact lenses just for sports but they’re too expensive to wear part time.”

There are hundreds of reasons and excuses not to wear contact lenses. But the reality is, contact lenses are easy to wear, comfortable if fit properly, available for the majority of visual needs and not expensive at all.

Think about it
Sometime around the mid 1970’s, soft contact lenses were brought to the US market. Since then, millions and millions of people have tried and now successfully wear contact lenses today. Contact lens manufacturers are developing and have developed contact lenses for just about everyone. This is the age of the baby boomers and an ever-increasing population with ever-increasing needs.

Today, contact lenses are available specifically for people with dry eyes and a variety of eye diseases. Lenses are obtainable for overnight or extended wear, single use or daily use, astigmatism or toric, bifocal or multifocal, soft or rigid gas permeable, combination hard and soft lenses. Patient requirements are vast and so are the choices of contact lenses.

A knowledgeable eyecare professional will have all contact lenses types at his or her disposal. So in the year 2008, don’t let any eyecare professional tell you that you can’t wear contacts. If you are motivated and are counseled to the proper expectations, you can wear contacts………and affordably.

NO MORE EXCUSES

Call Optix at 516-931-6330 for a consultation appointment with Dr. Kestenbaum or Dr. Zalaznick

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

The answer is simple.
I fit the lens to the patient and not the patient to the lens. What does that mean exactly? Well, as the owner of a private optometry practice and because I make all the decisions, I am able to use any contact lens I deem appropriate for my patients.

Eye doctors that work for optical chains or even private optical stores do not have this freedom. This may be due to corporate policy or the doctors are given only the lenses that the company bought at the cheapest price. The point is that these doctors have a restriction as to what is available to them.

At Optix, we have available at our fingertips every lens manufactured and we can even custom design lenses if needed. And our staff will sit with you for hours, if needed, to educate you on insertion and removal techniques and proper lens care.

What else?
I don’t give up. My associates don’t give up. We work hard to fit the appropriate lens to the patient. We try and try until we’ve exhausted all possibilities. And that’s hard to do with the wide variety of contact lens materials available to us today.

So if you are looking for eyecare professionals who are at the top of their game for fitting contact lenses, try Optix Family Eyecare Center. You will be glad you did!

-Dr. Joel Kestenbaum

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

You may be wondering, “A blog? What for?”
Here at Optix Family Eyecare we are taking the initiative to provide not only our patients but millions of people with important knowledge about the WORLD of eye care.

We feel it is absolutely imperative that people understand how important their eye health is and what it means to have healthy vision. We understand that many individuals may neglect their eye health and therefore seriously put a damper on all areas of their life. The bottom line, Optix Family Eyecare of Long Island is here to step up to the plate and provide you with a constant feed of great knowledge, both fun and informative, about YOUR EYE HEALTH!

Most of all, the Optix Blog is here for you to enjoy yourself and relax.
We will provide you with great…

1. Success stories
2. Interviews with the Optometry Doctors
3. How to’s and tips
4. Pictures and details about Brand New fashion designer eyewear
5. Live video
6. News and Offers going on at Optix Family Eyecare in Plainview, NY

Plus so much more!!

So take a moment to bookmark the blog and check back when it is most convenient for you.
Dr. Joel Kestenbaum, Dr. Michelle Zalaznick and the entire Optix Eyecare team can’t wait to provide you with a plethora of enjoyable and informative knowledge on eyecare!

Check back soon!

-The Optix Team