Congratulations To Both Doctor Hallers for being awarded The Patients Choice Award for 2016

We would like to congratulate Dr. Melvin Haller, Dr. Chad Haller, and Dr. Tod Haller, who have all been awarded the 2016 Patients Choice Award.

Patients’ Choice Award recognition reflects the difference a physician has made in the lives of their patients. The honor is bestowed to physicians who have received near perfect scores as voted by patients.

The Haller Eye Center would like to thank our wonderful patients who have made this award possible and we are proud of our physicians for achieving this honor.

The Haller Eye Center in Astoria, Queens now accepts Oscar Medical Insurance

As of January 1st, 2017, all three eye doctors at The Haller Eye Center  in Astoria, Queens  are in network for the Oscar insurance company.

If you have Oscar and need an eye exam, contact us to make an appointment.

Congratulations to our very own Melvin Haller, MD on being named one of Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors

We would like to collaboratively congratulate our very own Melvin Haller, MD on being named one of Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors. This award is given when someone is voted by other doctors as a top doctor.

Congratulations Dr. Melvin Haller on this prestigious accomplishment. We are so proud of you!

With So Many Contact Lenses Out There, Which One Is Best For Me?

That is a GREAT question!

Advances in contact lens technology have led to the development of more and more types of contact lenses. The Problem is, which one is best for you? Which is the most comfortable and which one is the safest?

So here is the breakdown of the TYPE of contact lenses that are out there:

HIGH OXYGEN / SILICON HYDROGEL

Leading the way in the newest technological developments has been the advent of silicon hydrogel disposable contact lenses. Silicon hydrogel lenses allow better oxygen permeability or breathability compared to regular hydrogel contact lenses. This has long-term health benefits for your eyes, allowing you longer wearing time, excess moisture, and eliminates the long term affects of cleaning solutions on your eyes. This helps keep the eyes healthier and happier.

Since the launch of silicon hydrogel disposable contact lenses, the technology has constantly improved, resulting in softer, more comfortable lenses. The range of prescriptions available in these materials is continually expanding. Silicon hydrogel lenses are available in several different lens materials and designs, including daily disposable, two-week or monthly disposable and multifocal lenses. Silicon hydrogel lenses may be suitable for you to sleep in according to the FDA, however, most ophthalmologists (like us) and most optometrists will never recommend it and in fact, most feel that it is dangerous to sleep in ANY contact lens.

 

RIGID GAS PERMEABLE LENSES

Rigid gas-permeable (RGP) lenses are made from hard, durable plastics that transmit oxygen. These are typically theleast prescribed, but most affordable lenses out there, however, they take a little longer to get used to compared to soft lenses. They offer excellent visibility and clarity, especially in patients with astigmatism or irregular corneas and they are particularly good lenses for conditions such as keratoconus and other rare corneal conditions. These lenses typically last a year and then need to be replaced.

COLOR CONTACT LENSES

To change or enhance your eye color, these are available in a range of colors with or without prerscription. You can even get “Wild Eyes,” which are contact lenses with designs and fun colors, perfect for an occasion like Halloween. Color contact lenses are available in daily, monthly disposable and soft conventional designs. It is important to know that an ophthalmologist should fit all color contact lenses, even those without prescription, as the color contact lenses you find in costume stores are extremely dangerous.

MULTIFOCAL (or bifocal) CONTACT LENSES

Multifocal contact lenses combine distance and near vision. Multifocal contact lenses are available in several different disposable and high-oxygen silicon hydrogel materials, including daily disposable lenses. These, however, can be quite pricey and take a while to get used to. Many patients often quit using them before they take the time to get used to them. By wearing multifocal contact lenses you have the advantage of not being dependent on reading glasses OVER the contact lenses. Many patients often prefer mono-vision (a plain contact lens in one eye for distance and another contact lens in the other eye for near) to multifocal contact lenses.

 

DISPOSABLE SOFT LENSES

The most popular contact lenses today are soft disposable lenses. These lenses are made of soft, flexible plastics known as hydrogels or, in more recent years, silicon hydrogels. Disposable contact lenses are available to suit most prescriptions and are generally very comfortable, and do not require much time to get used to them. Disposable contact lenses are available in daily, two-weekly and monthly designs and are to be replaced at these intervals. People who wear daily disposable contact lenses benefit from a fresh pair of lenses every time they wear contacts, providing excellent comfort and eye health. These lenses require no cleaning or maintenance as they are replaced daily. Two-week and monthly lenses do require maintenance and cleaning solutions.

 

Although contact lenses are widely prescribed, getting a prescription for them is NOT like getting a prescription for glasses. Glasses prescriptions only require a power and a pupillary distance (distance between the two eyes). Contact lenses however come in all shapes and sizes, besides different powers as well. This requires special measurements to measure how round and how large your eyeballs actually are, so the contacts can rest on your eyes properly and safely. Poorly fit contact lenses can be extremely dangerous, even when they are properly cared for. Many insurances and vision plans DO NOT cover these tests and often thee is an added fee for these tests.

You can book in a contact lens consultation with the front desk. When you call, however, please be sure to mention that you would like a contact lens fitting/consultation, so you can have an appointment with one of our contact lens specialists.  Our specialists and ophthalmologists  will be able to advise you on what’s the best type for you. After the consultation, you can then order your lenses from us. the specialists and ophthalmologists will also be able to advise you on contact lens care and maintenance to ensure your eyes stay healthy and your vision clear. Call 718-728-0224 to book your appointment today, or click on the “contact ust” area of the website to book it online now.

 

All 3 Dr. Hallers Ranked Among The Top 10 Ophthalmologists in NY State

All 3 Dr. Hallers Ranked Among The Top 10 Ophthalmologists in NY State

Chad Top 10 2014

Melvin Haller Award

Melvin Haller Award

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tod TopDoc 2014

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to our very own Dr. Melvin Haller, Dr. Chad Haller, and Dr. Tod Haller on being ranked among the Top 10 Ophthalmologists in the entire New York State.

Thanks to our loyal and wonderful patients, their ranking as one of the best 10 eye doctors in the state is a testament to the devotion and love they show for their patients.

 

All 3 Dr. Hallers awarded prestigious “Most Compassionate Doctor Award 2013”

All 3 Dr. Hallers awarded prestigious “Most Compassionate Doctor Award 2013”

Dad CDD 2013Chad CDD 2013

Tod CDD 2013

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to Dr. Melvin Haller, Dr. Chad Haller, and Dr. Tod Haller on being awarded the prestigious Most Compassionate Doctor Award for 2013. All three doctors have now won this award 3 years in a row.

Each year, nearly 100 million patients across the U.S. access websites like to provide feedback about experiences with their physicians. Only those physicians with near perfect overall and bedside manner scores, as voted by their patients, are selected for the Compassionate Doctor recognition. Of the nation’s 870,000 active physicians, less than 3% were accorded this honor in 2013.

The Compassionate Doctor certification is part of the Patients’ Choice recognition program, where patients rate and vote for their favorite doctors.

Thank you to all of our patients and for the honor of allowing us to serve you. This award means everything to us, because you, the patients, are the ones who made this happen for us. We hope to continue to make you proud and thank you for this distinction .

Bob Costas’s Eye infection / Pink Eye…What are your options?

Bob Costas’s Eye infection / Pink Eye…What are your options?

costas Pink eye infection

 

Bob Costas, an anchor for NBC who is the man-behind-the-scenes for the Olympics, unfortunately came down with an ugly form of pink eye, otherwise known as viral conjunctivitis. Although this condition scares many people for many reasons, it is quite common and can usually be easily treated. It is so common, that we treat it in our office on a daily basis. So once you are diagnosed, what are your options for treating it?

Before you treat it, here is a quick cliff-notes to understanding of what pink eye / viral conjunctivitis actually is. It is a  virus infection (the same virus  that causes the common cold) that infects your eye. It can be slightly contagious, or very contagious, depending on which strain you have. If multiple members of your family or coworkers have had pink-eye recently, assume you have the very contagious strain. It is usually a severe annoyance and very uncomfortable, but in the end, rarely dangerous.

First, you need to ask yourself, how quickly do you need to get rid of it? Many people must miss work because of the infections, or have a wedding coming up, et

c. and therefore need to treat it immediately. Others, work from home and therefore do not need to get rid of it as quickly. So here we go:

#1 Cold compresses – this helps make it feel better. It will not rid any other symptoms, and can often spread the infoection if others come in contact with the cold compress. Clean it thoroughly after use

#2 Artificial Tears – this will also bland out the symptoms, but it will not get rid of the symptoms, nor will it get rid of the infection faster.

#3 Handwashing, handwashing, handwashing! – this will prevent the spread of the virus to others. Any time you touch your face or rub your e

yes, you need to wash your hands with soap to rid your hands of the virus prior to touching anything else.

#4 Stop wearing contact lenses until the infection is cleared. Otherwise, you may keep reinfecting yourself over again.

#5 Antihistamine eye drops– this will definitely help relieve the symptoms tremendously. It will help you feel better, as well as, help decrease your contagious tearing. Over the counter, or prescription antihistamines are all good. I suggest Alloway or Zaditor. Keep in mind, the over the counter red-eye drops, like Visine or Clear-Eyes are NEVER recommended. They do more harm than good.

#6 Steroid eye drops– These drops will make your eyes feel and look better the fastest out of all eye drops. Sometimes it can even take a day or two to feel and look back to normal. However, this also carries a downside. If the full course of drops is not taken, then the infection can flare up again. Also, patients with glaucoma or history of elevated eye pressure need to be cautious and be followed for eye pressure changes while on these medications. Unfortunately, these drops are often not covered by insurances. The safest ones are typically Zylet, Lotemax, and Tobradex ST, but very few insurances cover them, and even if they are covered, they can still be pricey.

A few things you should NEVER do with this infection are the following:

#1 Do not assume you have pink eye / viral conjunctivitis. You can have something far worse that may seem like pink eye, but delay in treating those can leave lasting damage.

#2 Do not use Red eye drops, such as Visine or Clear Eyes. Those may do more harm than good.

If you are not sure, or if you are not getting better, I suggest you seek an eye exam by an ophthalmologist immediately.

 

 

Why Do Diabetes Patients Need Yearly Eye Exams?

Why Do Diabetes Patients Need Yearly Eye Exams?

Haller Eye ExamAs many patients with diabetes learn, there are many potential complications related to diabetes. Many people hear horror stories of patients losing their vision, or toes, or even kidneys. Fortunately, with modern day medications and lifestyle changes, complications are preventable with medical intervention.

But what is diabetes and why are eye exams and eye care for diabetes so important?

First, we need to understand what diabetes is. In short, diabetes is a disease in which the body is unable to decrease the blood glucose/sugar levels, because the body’s insulin either does not work well or is in short supply. Why is this a bad thing? The answer lies within the lining of the blood vessels. Specific cells within the innermost lining of the blood vessels, called pericytes, are responsible for the health of the blood vessels. Unfortunately, glucose is toxic to these cells. As these cells die, the blood vessels shut down and cut off the blood supply to areas of the body.

This is where the eye exam comes in. The eye is the only place in the whole body where you can see the blood vessels of the body in their “natural habitat”. With a dilated eye exam, your ophthalmologist can actually visualize the blood vessels in your eyes and see if the vessels are shutting down, leaking or even bleeding. This gives your doctor an idea on the extent of the damage caused by the disease. If the ophthalmologist sees damage to blood vessels in the eyes, than we also know the same damage is happening all over the body — the kidneys, liver, brain, heart, etc. Not only that, the ophthalmologist can also determine any new changes from year to year.

The general rule is that all individuals with diabetes should get a full dilated eye exam at least once a year.

Haller Eye Center Doctors Win Prestigious Patients Choice Awards

Haller Eye Center Doctors Win Prestigious Patients Choice Awards

Patients choice award

Patients choice award

patients choice award 2013

patients choice award 2013

Patients Choice Award 2013

Patients Choice Award 2013

Congratulations to Dr. Melvin Haller, Dr. Chad Haller and Dr. Tod Haller on winning the 2013 Patients Choice Award. This prestigious award is awarded to individual physicians and the winners are voted on by patients and patient satisfaction ratings. Less than 5% of physicians nationwide win this prestigious award.

Dr. Melvin Haller, Dr. Chad Haller and Dr. Tod Haller have won this award three years in a row. Thank you to our loyal and wonderful patients who voted, rated and reviewed us so highly in the past few years.

You are the reason why we love coming to work every day and why we do what we do. We hope to continue to make you proud.

Welcome to the Haller Eye Center Blog!

Thank you for visiting the Haller Eye Center. We hope that you find our website and blog informative and educational. We also look forward to meeting you in our state-of-the-art office that has been providing exceptional Queens eye care since 1934.

Your questions and comments are always welcome and we hope that you come and try us out for your family’s eye care needs. Keep in mind we accept most insurance and also welcome walk-ins, so if you are having an emergency, feel free to come in to visit one of our 3 board-certified ophthalmologists. Our caring and compassionate staff will make sure your experience is as quick and comfortable as possible.

Thank you for visiting and we hope you enjoy learning about eye care as much as we love teaching it.

See you very soon.