Dry Eyes

About Dr. Dean S. Steinberger, O.D. & Associates

Dr. Dean S. Steinberger, O.D. & Associates

Optometrists located in Westlake Village, CA

Your neighborhood Optometrist in Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Oak Park, Malibu, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Moorpark, California

If scratchy, dry eyes and blurry vision are keeping you from enjoying the activities you love, perhaps it’s time to explore your treatment options at a practice dedicated to optimal eye care. Dr. Dean S. Steinberger, OD & Associates in Westlake Village, California offers the latest treatment options for dry eye. Find out more by calling or scheduling an online consultation today.

Dry Eyes Q & A

What is dry eye?

Dry eye is a common eye condition, affecting more than 10 million people in the United States. With dry eye, your tear ducts don’t make enough tears to lubricate and nourish your eyes. Your eyes feel dry, scratchy, gritty, burning, or uncomfortable. Your eyes might water excessively or you might feel like something is in your eye. Tears are essential for good eye health, reducing your risk of eye infection, keeping your eyes free of dust and debris, and providing clear vision. But when your eyes are dry, your vision may be worse than normal.

How is dry eye diagnosed?

Your optometrists at Dr. Dean S. Steinberger, OD & Associates performs a medical evaluation to help determine which dry eye treatment is right for you. The team will assess the quality and quantity of the tears you’re currently producing.

They also may:

Record your visual health history
Measure visual abilities at short and long distances
Test eye coordination and focusing skills
Examine your eyelid structure and blink dynamics
Evaluate your cornea and eyelids with magnifiers and intense light
Apply special dyes to observe tear flow and uncover changes in the eye’s outer surface from a lack of tears

Your optometrist also will take note of any medications, medical issues, or environmental factors that might be related to your condition.s

Why Choose BlephEx™?

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BlephEx™ is a revolutionary new patented hand piece, used to very precisely and carefully, spin a medical grade micro-sponge along the edge of your eyelids and lashes, removing scurf and debris and exfoliating your eyelids.

How is dry eye treated?

You may be able to improve your condition by blinking frequently, increasing the humidity at your home and office, drinking plenty of water, and wearing sunglasses outdoors to protect your eyes from sun and wind.

Because dry eyes are a chronic condition, the practitioners at Dr. Dean S. Steinberger, OD & Associates may suggest using over-the-counter eye drops to keep your eyes lubricated and clear. If eye drops aren’t helping, they may recommend other options, including:

Prescription eye drops to increase the number of tears
Prescription ointments or eye drops to reduce inflammation around your eyes
Blocking your tear ducts with tiny plugs or surgery to keep your tears in your eyes

If you’d like the comfort of clear, irritation-free vision, call or schedule a consultation today with the skilled optometrists at Dr. Dean S. Steinberger, OD & Associates.

Learn More About Dry Eye Syndrome

What is LipiFlow®?

LipiFlow is an innovative thermal treatment that is designed specifically to remove blockages from your meibomian glands. Your meibomian glands produce the oily lHow does LipiFlow work? LipiFlow treatment takes approximately 12 minutes and is well tolerated. Your optometrist will fit sterile, single-use applicators over your eyes before turning on the machine. LipiFlow works by applying gentle pressure and heat in a vectored thermal pulse to your eyes and tear glands. The combination of heat and massage melts blockages in your meibomian glands and stimulate drainage. After your treatment, you can return to your regular activities, and you should notice an improvement in your dry eye symptoms within eight weeks.

Am I a good candidate for LipiFlow treatment?

The optometrists at Dean S. Steinberger, OD & Associates provide comprehensive eye exams to diagnose dry eye and its cause. They also check for any other eye health conditions that could exclude you from LipiFlow eligibility. If your dry eye symptoms are due to blocked meibomian glands, your doctor can recommend LipiFlow treatment to restore your eye health.

If you live with dry eye symptoms, call Dean S. Steinberger, OD & Associates or schedule a consultation online today.

Autologous Serum Eye Drops

Your Blood, Your Tears… No Sweat!

Your tears are complex in nature and crucial to eye health. Unfortunately, patients with severe dry may just not produce enough tears to remain comfortable, and supplementing natural tear production with artificial tears or lubricants is often inadequate. Many people have underlying medical issues which cause or worsen dry eye, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid disease. Others take medications which diminish tear production. In many cases, there may not be a “quick fix” for the problem. At Dean S. Steinberger OD in Westlake Village, we work to find relief for patients with dry eye and to prevent long term damage to the ocular surface resulting from a lack of tear production.

What are Autologous Serum Eye Drops?

Autologous means that the donor and the recipient are the same person. The eye drops in this case are made from your own blood. Red blood cells and clotting factors are removed, leaving behind blood serum. This is diluted with a sterile, preservative-free solution to produce a tear substitute that is unique to the patient, and contains many important growth factors and nutrients normally found in healthy tears. Since blood and tears have an almost identical salinity and pH, there is no issue of burning or stinging upon instillation. Because they are non-preserved, the drops are stored in the freezer until you need them.

How do you make them?

Dean S. Steinberger OD PC has contracted with a local Westlake Village, CA laboratory and compounding pharmacy to easily and efficiently draw your blood and process it into usable eye drops in the same day. After the blood sample is obtained, you transport it to the nearby pharmacy along with your prescription and they will produce a finished product within two hours.

How much do they cost?

The cost for autologous serum eye drops varies by the amount of blood drawn and the number of bottles produced from the sample. In general, the pharmacy charges $15 per 5 milliliter bottle of drops, and the fee for the blood draw is a mere $10. A typical draw will deliver anywhere from 6 – 8 bottles, so figure on about $115.00 for the entire process. That should produce enough drops to last 4 – 6 months. Will my insurance cover the cost? Insurance will probably not pay for serum eye drops any more than they pay for artificial tears. However, we will happily submit a letter of medical necessity on your behalf if you wish to challenge the claim.

When will I know if they’re working?

Everyone is different, but for those patients who experience relief using autologous serum eye drops it is usually seen within the first few weeks.

Eclipse Amniotic Membrane Allograft

Eclipse is a dehydrated amniotic membrane allograft disc used to improve surgical outcomes including procedures in Ophthalmology and Optometry. Eclipse is a precision crafted single layer membrane for use in mild to severe conditions. A thicker single layer provides the same growth factors as dual layers while retaining the patient comfort of single layer membranes. Eclipse Single Layer Diameters Eclipse 10mm Diameter Eclipse 12mm Diameter Eclipse 14mm Diameter Eclipse 16mm Diameter (8mm Diameter coming soon)

OUR SERVICES

Glaucoma

LASIK

Cataracts

Low Vision

Macular Degeneration

Contact Lenses

Pediatric Eye Exam

Dry Eye

Eye Infections

Urgent Care

Glasses

Keratoconus

Lipiflow

Intense Pulsed Light

Insurances Accepted

These are the insurances accepted at our practice. Please call our office if you have any questions!

Get Directions To Our Office

"They have the best, latest cutting edge equipment for eye testing and they have a wide range of styles and prices to fit any need."

"They are excellent!!! Friendly knowledgeable staff who bend over backwards to ensure that your appointment is comfortable."

LOCATION

Advanced Optometrics
Trusted Eyecare, Distinctive Eyewear.
1014 S. Westlake Blvd. #10
Westlake Village, CA 91361
Phone: (800) 983-4933
Email: advancedoptometrics@gmail.com

OFFICE HOURS

Monday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday	Closed
Sunday	Closed

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Dr. Dean S. Steinberger 1014 S. Westlake Blvd. #10 Westlake Village, CA 91361 Phone: (800) 983-4933