Dr. Claudia Wendel at Pearle Vision - Robinson Town Center

10/08/2025

June 1, 1994

10/08/2025

Lutein - How it Benefits Your Eyes

Lutein is an organic pigment that belongs to the carotenoid family, closely related to beta-carotene and vitamin A. Commonly called the "eye vitamin," lutein is made by plants. It's present in large amounts in the macula area of the eye, which plays a crucial role in vision.

These essential nutrients can improve eye health and reduce the risk of macular degeneration. Research shows that this antioxidant plays a key role in maintaining vision and supporting eye health. Lutein also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Lutein is known to support the improvement or prevention of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, which are leading causes of blindness and vision impairment.
Lutein can help protect the retina from phototoxic light damage.

Food sources rich in Lutein include:
• berries
• Broccoli
• Papaya
• Peaches
• Mangoes
• Egg yolks
• Kales
• Spinach
• Peas
• Corn
• Bell peppers
• Pistachios

Sources:
www.aarp.org
www.healthcentral.com
www.webmd.com
www.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

09/30/2025

Common Refractive Errors

The eyeball, cornea, and lens must have precise shapes to properly bend (refract) light rays, allowing them to focus on the retina and to send visual information to the brain. If this process becomes disrupted, vision becomes blurry.

The most common type of vision problems in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are refractive errors.

• Myopia (nearsightedness): Where the eye focuses light rays in front of the retina. Near-sightedness is when you can see clearly up close but blurry at a distance.
• Hyperopia (farsightedness), where light rays overreach your retina. Farsightedness is when you can see clearly in the distance, but your vision is blurry up close.
• Astigmatism: light rays fall evenly on the retina surface
• Presbyopia: related to difficulty focusing up close. Light rays that overreach the retina make reading and other activities challenging.

These conditions affect how the eye is shaped. Emmetropia is a normal shaped eye with correct refraction.

Symptoms of refractive errors can be:
• Squinting
• Eyestrain
• Difficulty seeing at night
• Blurry or fuzzy vision
• Headaches

Common refractive errors can be corrected by eyeglasses, contact lenses, or laser surgery.

To avoid these common disorders and injuries to the eye: before age 18, and after age 65, every two years in between. Unless a medical or eye problem occurs that requires more frequent attention.
To avoid these common disorders and injury to the eye:
• Regular Eye Exams
• Wear protective eyewear
• Take breaks during screen time
• Maintain a healthy diet
• Limit alcohol intake

To schedule a comprehensive eye exam with Dr. Wendel go online: Click here or call (412) 788-1288

Sources:
www.clevelandclinic.org
www.health.ny.gov
www.pearlevision.com

Photo source: www.eyedoctorophthalmologistnyc.com

09/30/2025

09/24/2025

Halloween Eye Safety Tips

With costumes appearing earlier this year, it's important to stay informed about Halloween eye safety before shopping.

• Take precautions with Halloween makeup around the eyes. Check the ingredients, as some products may irritate the skin or eyes. Avoid applying products inside the lash line or using glitter near the eyes—craft glitter, especially, may have harmful particles. Glitter can cause eye injuries, lead to infections, or trigger allergic reactions.

• Costume accessories such as wands or swords can be hazardous. Choose short, soft, flexible accessories made of foam to reduce risk.

• Halloween masks. These are always fun but be sure they are well-fitting, so they don’t block vision. Masks can become a hazard because they can cause blocked visual fields or loss of depth perception. trick-or-treaters. In addition to being able to see your best, it’s just as important to stay seen if you go out after dark, especially in costume. Bring a flashlight or glowsticks along to help you see where you are going and stay visible to cars. If possible, wear bright or reflective clothing.

• Contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription from an eye doctor; in fact, it is illegal for retailers to sell them. Even for cosmetic use. If you do happen to get these contacts illegally. The damage that can be done is sometimes severe and irreversible. They are dangerous; everyone’s eye has a unique shape, and a professional ensures the lenses are the correct size and curvature for your eye.

• Bacterial contamination. Hygiene should be practiced with costume contact lenses, as you would with regular contact lenses. As germs can infect the cornea, the clear front part of the eye, it is often caused by poor contact lens hygiene, leading to serious eye infections.

• Lack of oxygen- A lack of oxygen to the eye from contact lens wear, known as corneal hypoxia, is a common complication that can lead to corneal swelling, blurry vision, and potentially more serious issues like corneal ulcers.

• Inferior materials, plastic, and pigments have lead that can leach into the eyes.

Many of these possible consequences are a scary price to pay just for the best costume.

Sources:
www.thenewyorkeyedoctor.com
www.hopkinsmedicine.org
www.aao.org

Photo Sources:
www.riverdaleeyecare.com
www.amazon.com
www.creatingcreatives.com

09/17/2025

Hydration for the Eyes

Dehydration is a condition that is caused by the loss of fluid from the body. It occurs when you’re losing more fluids than you're taking in, and your body doesn't have enough fluid to function properly.

Dehydration can be mild to life-threatening. Get to the ER at once if you experience:
• Confusion
• Fainting
• Lack of urination
• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid breathing
• Shock

It is well known that dehydration can cause dry skin and lips and can also harm the kidneys and other organs. What most people don’t know is that not drinking enough water can make the moist surfaces in your body dry out. This includes the surface of your eyes.

Dehydration causes a condition called tear hyperosmolarity, which is high levels of salt in tears.

The body’s response to a lack of hydration can be:
• Dry eye, cataracts, reflective changes, and retinal vascular disease
• Burning eyes, sensitivity to light, and the feeling of a foreign body in the eye.
• Certain medications can also cause dehydration.
• Dehydration can cause dark circles in sunken eyes
• Dry, red, and irritated eyes
• Blurred and double vision
• Eyesight is critically dependent on healthy blood flow; dehydration restricts blood flow
• The cornea can become cloudy from too little water

Conditions that may cause the body to need more hydration:
• Diabetes
• Thyroid problems
• Sjogren's disease
• Addison’s disease

Dehydration can cause these problems with the eyes:
• Dark circles and sunken eyes.
• Dry, red and irritated eyes
• Blurred and double vision
• Eyesight is critically dependent on healthy blood flow dehydration can restrict blood flow to the eyes.
• Dry eye
• The cornea can become cloudy from too little hydration

The body ‘s other physical response to loss of fluid includes:
• Thirst
• Dry mouth
• Decreased urine output
• Muscle cramps
• Headache
• Lightheadedness
• Sleepiness
• Lack of tear production, which leads to dry eye and eye strain

To prevent dehydration:
• Drink plenty of water
• Reduce the intake of caffeine: alcohol, high protein, foods, and excess salt.
• Drinking a sports drink can also help to replace electrolytes your body loses.

09/15/2025

"Clemente" Documentary
September 12th - 21st
Tickets - $10
No online sales, purchase at the bar
Trailer: https://f.io/X_pFgp6n
Showtimes:
9/12 - 6:15pm
9/13 - 5:00pm
9/14 - 2:00pm & 4:00pm
9/18 - 7:00pm & 9:00pm
9/21 - 5:00pm
Watch the Legendary, Roberto Clemente, on the Big Screen - starting Friday September 12th
"Clemente" is the definitive documentary on the extraordinary life, career, and enduring legacy of Major League Baseball icon Roberto Clemente. Told through stunning archival footage, never-before-heard recordings, and unprecedented interviews, the film reveals the story of a man who lived by his own uncompromising code. A double outsider—too Black for white America and too Latino for Black America—Clemente refused to stay silent in the face of racism and injustice. Through sheer determination and relentless discipline, he rose from poverty to superstardom, yet never lost sight of those on the margins. Clemente is more than a sports story; it’s a portrait of a man who gave everything—for the game and for others. A powerful, joyful reminder that a life marked by passion, courage, and empathy can truly change the world.

09/10/2025

Eye Movement

Eye movement encompasses both voluntary and involuntary movements of the eyes.
There are four basic types of eye movement:
• Saccades
• Smooth pursuit movements
• Vergence movements
• Vestibulo-ocular movements

Saccades are rapid, jerky movements of the eyes that shift focus from one point to another, such as when reading or during the rapid eye movement stage of sleep. These movements can be performed voluntarily but mostly occur automatically to adjust for areas without vision receptors.

Smooth pursuit movement is the ability of the eyes to track a target that typically moves along smoothly. During these movements, the nervous system tries to maintain the velocity of the eye at the same level as the velocity of the target.

Vergence movements are slow, simultaneous movements of both eyes in opposite directions (toward or away from each other) to maintain focus on objects at different distances, helping with depth perception.

Vestibulo-ocular movements are automatic adjustments of the eyes that stabilize vision during head movements. Controlled by the inner ear, they help maintain clear vision and support coordination during activities that involve movement.

Sources:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
www.imotions.com
www.sciencedirect.com

09/02/2025

Iconic Eyewear in Movie History 4

1. Abigail Breslin as Olive in Little Miss Sunshine
2. Robert Wagner as Number 2 in Austin Powers
3. Jonathan Lipinicki in Stuart Little
4. Brendon Gleeson as Mad Eye Moody in Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
5. Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken in Escape from New York

08/27/2025

Juvenile Macular Dystrophy

Juvenile Macular Dystrophy (JMD) is sometimes referred to as Juvenile Macular Degeneration. It is different from age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD occurs as part of natural aging. Normal aging processes can lead to structural and blood flow changes that can predispose patients to AMD.

Juvenile macular degeneration is a rare, genetic condition that affects vision early in life. JMD causes central vision loss and often begins in childhood into young adulthood.

The most common forms of JMD are:
• Stargardts Disease
• Best's Disease
• Juvenile Retinoschisis

Unfortunately, there is no treatment. However, there are several treatments under clinical trials to manage these diseases, which may help to slow the progression and preserve vision longer

Visual aids, adaptive training, and other tools can help with vision loss.
JMD damages the macula, the tissue in the center of the retina at the back of the eye. This area provides sharp central vision.

All forms of JMD cause problems with central vision. Some children do not show signs of having JMD. A healthcare professional may identify an issue during a comprehensive eye exam.

A doctor may use family history to determine a child's risk, as well as special labs, which may be used to conduct genetic testing that can help to identify the exact gene that is linked to the disease.

The eye doctor may also proceed with other tests to confirm or rule out JMD diseases, those tests may include:
• OCT
• Fluorescein Angiography
• ERG (Electroretinography)

Source:
• www.aao.org
• www.webmd.com
• www.medicalnewstoday.com
• www.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.go

Photo Source:
www.irhto.com
www.opticalimages.com
www.aboonline.org

08/19/2025

The Benefit Received from Back-to-School Eye Exams

Imagine trying to learn with blurry vision, eye strain, or headaches. Clear vision is essential for learning, and undiagnosed vision problems can impede a child's education. Many children cannot recognize or express their vision issues because these problems may have always been present or progressed gradually.

If children can’t see well, they may have difficulty reading, writing and taking part in activities at school, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA).

School-provided vision screenings are tempting due to cost or convenience, but they are limited and can miss up to 75% of children with vision or eye health problems. Even children with 20/20 vision may have undetected eye health issues.

As children progress through their education, they face increasing demands on their visual abilities. The size of print in textbooks gets smaller and the amount of time spent reading increases. To meet these demands, a child should have the vision skills to be an effective learner:
• Visual acuity
• Eye Focusing
• Eye Tracking
• Eye teaming
• Hand-to-eye coordination
• Visual perception
• Recognition
• Comprehension
• Retention

Without a comprehensive eye exam from an Optometrist, many eye and vision disorders go undetected, or worse, a child may be misdiagnosed as having behavior problems, ADHD, dyslexia, or other learning disability. Signs of vision problems that are less obvious to watch for are:
• Difficulty completing tasks.
• Not performing up to their full potential
• Difficulty working alone and following directions.
• Difficulty organizing and prioritizing work and time.
• Heavy reliance on pictures or auditory memorization
• Lack of interest in books or reading
• Disruptive or inattentive in class

Since much of a child's learning is visual, undetected vision problems may cause a child to miss out on a significant part of their education. Without good vision, a child's foundation for future success in school, sports and life in general can be compromised. Due to the lack of public awareness about vision disorders and how they can affect a child’s ability to meet developmental milestones, engage socially, achieve academic success in the future.

Sources:
www.uhc.com
www.visionmonday.com
www.Optometrists.org
www.aoa.org
www.clevelandclinic.org





Since much of a child's learning is visual, undetected vision problems may cause a child to miss out on a significant part of their education. Without good vision, a child's foundation for future success in school, sports, and life in general can be compromised. Due to the lack of public awareness about vision disorders and how they can affect a child’s ability to meet developmental milestones, engage socially, achieve academic success in the future.