What Causes Dry Eye Syndrome?

What causes dry eye syndrome?

Dry Eye Syndrome -- What causes it?

If you have a dry, gritty, or scratchy feeling in your eyes, you may suffer from dry eye syndrome. Dry eye syndrome may also result in feeling like there is a film over one or both eyes. You may also feel burning or itching in your eyes, or blurry vision.

Dry eyes are the result of a loss of tears coating the eye. This doesn’t refer to the tears when you cry — the eye always has a layer of tears covering it. On the surface of your eyeball is a very thin layer of mucous, which helps spread the tears evenly across the eye. On top of that is a thin layer of tears and some proteins. The tear layer is covered by an oily layer to keep the tears on the eye and prevent evaporation.

Dry eye syndrome can result from one or more causes. Obviously, one cause is decreased tear production. Another possible cause is excessive tear evaporation, where the tears evaporate too quickly to be effective. This can happen if any of the layers coating your eye are not being produced normally, allowing the tears to either be absorbed into the eye or to evaporate and run off the eye.

Each of these symptoms have similar causes. The first possibility is simply age. As we get older, the glands that produce these substances can develop problems producing their layer. Hormonal changes can also affect the production of tears or the oily layer that keeps them against the eye. Certain autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or eczema, can affect tear production.

Certain medications have also been found to reduce tear production or the layers coating the eye. Antihistamines, antidepressants, beta-blockers, and oral contraceptives can all affect tear production. Various infections of the eye, the tear and mucous glands, or even the eyelashes can also reduce tear production and retention.

Finally, any activity which can reduce the blinking reflex can also lead to dry eyes. Watching TV or staring intently at a computer monitor can cause some people to blink less often, allowing tears to evaporate.

If you have dry eyes, or your eyes routinely bother you, you should seek medical attention from a dry eye specialist like Dr. Barry Leonard. Dry eyes can indicate certain medical conditions that may require treatment. In addition, untreated dry eyes can lead to additional eye problems and infection. Dr. Leonard can also help you deal with dry eyes as an ongoing problem.

If you’ve got dry eyes, make an appointment now to see Dr. Leonard to treat your condition. Just call 1-818-891-6711. You deserve comfort — and good vision. You can also use the online reservation link at the top of this or any page. Use it and make your appointment now.

 

 

What Is Astigmatism?

What is Astigmatism? Astigmatism is a condition where the eye doesn’t focus because the cornea isn’t shaped properly.

The human eye is like a camera. The back of the eyeball is the retina, and it acts like the film of the camera. The front of the eyeball is the lens of the camera, and consists of two parts. The outer part is the cornea, a hard surface which starts focusing light as it enters the eye. Just inside the cornea is a softer part called the lens. The lens is controlled with muscles, which enables us to focus our eyes. Between the cornea and the lens is another muscle called the iris, which controls the amount of light entering our eyes.

The cornea is normally supposed to be rounded, like the surface of a ball. However, if the corn

What is astigmatism?

What is astigmatism? Astigmatism is a refractive eye error that causes the cornea to focus light improperly on the retina.

ea isn’t round, then the lens cannot focus the image onto the retina properly. You’re probably familiar with being nearsighted or farsighted — that happens when the cornea is rounded, but either bulges out a bit or not enough. In those cases the lens focuses the image, but either in front of or behind the retina.

However, if the cornea isn’t actually round, but rather slightly oval looking from the front, then the image doesn’t focus at all. What happens is that the long part of the oval focuses at one point, and the narrow part focuses at a different point. There are three types of astigmatism.

  • Hyperopic Astigmatism: Both of the points the eye focuses on are behind the retina (instead of on the retina, as with normal vision)
  • Myopic Astigmatism: Both of the points the eye focuses on are in front of the retina.
  • Mixed Astigmatism: One of the focal points for the eye is in front of the retina, and the other is behind the retina.

Each of these types can be the result of an oddly shaped cornea (corneal astigmatism), or an oddly shaped lens (lenticular astigmatism). Corneal astigmatism can be corrected with lenses or laser surgery. Lenticular astigmatism is less common, and may be addressed with contact lenses or laser surgery to the cornea to compensate.

The bottom line is that if your eye doctor tells you that you have astigmatism, you probably already knew that you weren’t seeing very clearly. Now you know what astigmatism is, and how it affects your eyes.

You might consider getting special contact lenses for astigmatism to help correct your vision. Dr. Barry Leonard is a specialist in diagnosing, prescribing and correcting for astigmatism. Make an appointment today, either by calling the office at 1-818-891-6711, or use the online reservation form at the top right of this or every page.

 

What Is Keratoconus?

What is Keratoconus? Keratoconus is a rare condition where the cornea forms in a cone shape. Normal corneas are rounded, only slightly bulging out beyond the eyeball. In people with keratoconus, the cornea protrudes out in a shallow cone, distorting vision and making the eye more sensitive to glare. So what is keratoconus? It’s a cone-shaped eyeball.

The direct cause of keratoconus isn’t known, although it’s suspected to be genetic. But keratoconus generally isn’t present at birth — it develops later, often in your teens. The first signs of keratoconus are blurred vision, which can be cured with standard corrective lenses. However, as it develops and the corneas continue to change, vision m

What is Keratoconus? A condition where your cornea is cone-shaped.

What is Keratoconus?

ay no longer be correctable with normal lenses.

You may start seeing multiple “ghosted” images, your eyes will be more sensitive to glare and you may feel eyestrain after working for a while. Other than strain, there is generally no pain connected to the condition. Once the corneas become more cone-shaped, then even normal corrective lenses cannot resolve the ghosting and multiple images that result.
That’s why finding a good keratoconus doctor is so important.

Diagnosis of keratoconus is difficult even when suspected by an optometrist or opthamologist. Standard eye chart observations are not enough. A doctor can measure the curvature of the cornea with a device called a keratometer, but these are not designed to detect keratoconus, and the deformation of the cornea may exceed the instrument’s ability to measure.

Once your doctor suspects keratoconus may be a possibility, then often the best diagnostic method is direct observation. Advanced cases can be easily identified by the experienced eye of a keratoconus doctor. In about half of cases there is also a ring of yellowish or greenish color called a Fleischer ring that can be seen in the cornea.

A modern technique known as computerized corneal mapping can also be used to detect keratoconus. But irregularities in the structure of the eye, both related to and unrelated to keratoconus, can still make diagnosis tricky. This is where the experience of the doctor in evaluating the results of all these tests can make a huge difference in identification of this rare condition.

If your own optometrist or opthalmologist suspects you have keratoconus, the next question you ask (right after “What is keratoconus?”) should be “Where can I find a good keratoconus doctor?”.

That’s when patients with keratoconus all over Los Angeles call Dr. Barry Leonard. Dr. Leonard is a keratoconus doctor who not only treats keratoconus, but is actually a keratoconus patient himself…so he knows what you are going through.

Call Dr. Leonard’s office now at 818-891-6711, or make an appointment online right now using the link at the top of this page.

Dry Eyes Treatments

Treatment for Dry Eyes, Refresh Artificial Tears

Treatment for Dry Eyes, Refresh Artificial Tears

If you have dry eyes, of course you want to know what you can do about them. The first thing you should understand is that not all cases of dry eyes can be completely cured. However, even for those cases that can’t be completely cured, there are things we can do to reduce the pain and irritation, and improve your vision.

Dry eyes can be caused by a number of different things, so the appropriate treatment can vary depending on what your Optometrist determines the problem may be. For immediate relief, you can buy “artificial tears” at your local drug store. These are specially designed lubricating eye drops that should ease the pain of dry eyes immediately, although the relief may only be temporary. There is also a prescription medication called Restasis which can ease dry eyes by producing more tears.

To reduce pain in the short term, you should also drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Using a humidifier in your room can also help to keep your eyes from drying out. Also appropriate nutritional supplements can be a benefit. Wearing sunglasses outside will cut back on the pain from glare. Review any prescription medications you are taking to see if their side effects may include dry eyes. Finally, be careful using “redness reducing” eye drops. They may feel better for a while, but if you keep using them, your eyes will become accustomed to them and try to compensate. This only makes the problem worse.

Dry Eye Treatment Restasis

Prescription Treatment for Dry Eyes, Restasis

If this advice doesn’t provide long-term relief, more advanced treatments are available. There is a device called “Lacrisert” which your doctor can insert inside your lower eyelid. It releases a lubricant over time to help your eyes. Once you get used to it, you won’t even know it’s there. It will need to be replaced by your doctor every so often.

There is also a temporary artificial plug that a doctor can place in the punctal duct, which is the “drain” for your eyes.

You don’t have to worry about pain or discomfort — when these procedures are performed by an experienced Optometrist like Dr. Barry Leonard, the procedure is painless. The only sign you’ll have that anything has been done is your eyes feeling like new again.

If you’re tired of having dry eye syndrome, then maybe it’s time to give Dr. Barry Leonard a call. You can call the office (1-818-891-6711) to make an appointment, or use the online appointment system at any time — even after hours.

Eye Doctor Questions

Do you have Eye Doctor Questions? Dr. Barry Leonard can answer them for you.

When you have eye issues for the very first time, or are searching to find better eye care than what you’ve had in the past, you are going to have some questions about your eyes. So let’s get those eye doctor questions answered for you.

And if you’ve got questions that you don’t see answered here, then write us now. Or better yet, call our office today.

Meanwhile, here are some answers to some frequently asked questions about eye conditions, eye diseases, and eye care.

  • What Causes Dry Eyes?
  • How do I know if I have Cataracts?
  • Can I wear contact lenses?
  • What is astigmatism?
  • What is keratoconus?
  • What is LASIK Surgery?

The best way to get your questions answered is to drop in for a visit. While the information on this site will likely be helpful, they don’t replace a real eye exam. Eye exams by an experienced optometrist are easy and pain free, and can tell you exactly what kind of eye treatment you need.

Whether you need glasses or contacts, or want to choose LASIK surgery — or even if you have no eye issues at all and just need a checkup, make an appointment for an eye exam with Dr. Barry Leonard. Call our office or use our online Eye Doctor Appointment system.

Either way, we’d be happy to see you.

Is Lasik Surgery Right For Me?

LASIK Surgery in the San Fernando Valley

Is LASIK Surgery right for you? Schedule an exam today and find out how LASIK can help you see better for the rest of your life.

Is LASIK Surgery right for you? Would you benefit from Lasik Surgery? Well, that depends on what is wrong with your eyes.

LASIK is an acronym for “laser in-situ keratomileusis” and is a laser eye surgery that can be used to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness and even astigmatism.

During LASIK surgery, the cornea is actually reshaped by a laser so that the cornea can help your eye focus the incoming light properly onto the retina. Generally speaking, LASIK is a far more advanced treatment than other laser eye surgeries because of how much of the procedure is controlled by sophisticated computers, using computer imaging called “wavefront technology”.

Wavefront generates a detailed image of your cornea and a guide for treating your eye condition. The VISX Waveprint System that Dr. Leonard recommends has some features that make it far better in treating your eye condition than other lasers.

* It is the first wavefront system that can measure both the spherical and cylindrical high order aberrations of your eyes.

* The VISX system creates a more detailed analysis of your vision, and a laser vision correction plan that is customized for you.

One part of the LASIK procedure is a small flap that is made on the outer surface of your cornea. This flap is painless made and moved away to allow the laser to do its work.

We use an Intralase Laser, which is a laser that creates a Lasik flap. When the flap is made this way, the procedure is often called IntraLasik or “all laser” Lasik. The flap is created by thousands of tiny laser pulses applied over the course of a minute.

While WaveScan technology captures unique imperfections in your vision (beyond what was possible even a few short years ago). In fact, this new level of measurement provides 25-times more precision than measurements using standard methods for glasses and contact lenses — much like a fingerprint, no two are alike. The Waveprint system translates this information into a set of CustomVue treatment instructions for the laser.

Wavescan transfers these digital treatments instructions to the laser, providing a new level of precision and accuracy, and clarity for your vision that will change your life.

LASIK surgery is so important and useful to many of our patients. That is why we have made it more affordable than ever. CareCredit offers a full range of No Interest and Extended Payment Plans .
With CareCredit you pay no up-front costs, no prepayment penalties and Plus CareCredit is revolving credit line for additional treatment or services with out the need to reapply.

Be sure to speak to our Financial Coordinator for further assistance in your procedure or services being requested.

So what should you do next? Use our online appointment system or call our office (1-818-891-6711) and schedule an exam to see if LASIK is right for you. It’s quick and easy. We hope to see you in our office soon, so we can help you see better for the rest of your life.

Eye Doctor Appointment Online


Can you make an eye doctor appointment online?

Yes, you can if you are making an appointment with Dr. Barry Leonard, the eye doctor known as the best optometrist in the valley.

On every page of this website, on the right hand side, you will find a big button that says “Make An Optometrist Appointment Now.” Click that button, fill out a little bit of info, and you’re done.

Your request will get to our office right away, and we’ll reply and confirm as soon as we can.