Our Services

Eye Examinations

Dr. Steensma provides eye examinations for all age groups

Most people should probably have an eye exam every year or maybe every 2 years after childhood and before middle age.  Vision problems sneak up on us gradually sometimes so an annual eye check-up is  a good idea.  Also, in our middle ages and older years sometimes eye disease sneaks up on us so see an eyedoctor annually.

Eye examinations should not be stressful. Relax, - just answer the questions the best you can and don’t worry.  The doctor will sort through the data to find the very best solution.  Our examination instruments may be different than some you have seen before. Patients often comment on the sophisticated instruments we use.

You can see all of the instruments we use in an examination here: "The Eye Exam - The Movie"

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Medical Care of the Eyes

Dr. Steensma treats most types of general eye diseases and injuries, including:

  • Dry eyes
  • Allergies
  • Eye infections
  • Conjunctivitis (Pink eye)
  • Corneal ulcers
  • Conjunctival hemorrhages
  • Styes
  • Episcleritis
  • Corneal foreign bodies 
  • And corneal abrasions 

 Common symptoms often seen in our office are:

  • Red eyes
  • Burning eyes
  • Itching eyes
  • Sore eyes
  • Tired eyes 
  • Light sensitive eyes
  • And seeing spots

Medications frequently prescribed are:

  • Restasis 
  • Lotemax
  • Alrex
  • Zymar
  • Zylet
  • Tobradex
  • Pred Forte

We use e-Prescribe which allows Dr. Steensma to directly order prescriptions over the internet at your preferred pharmacy.  This allows a faster dispensing of the medication to you, with an electronic interface to warn of medication interaction.  Plus you don't have to drop the prescription off at the pharmacy.  You save time.

If a specialist is needed we have an outstanding team of surgeons and specialists available.  Some of the worlds leading eye care specialists have offices here in Ventura County. 

.red eyes from bacterial conjunctivitis red eyes from iritis red eyes from conjunctival hemorrhage

Eye Glasses

eye glassesEyeglasses

Your glasses, should you need them, are intended to help you see better and more comfortably.  Some people need glasses for distance tasks or for near only, but most of us need to see well at all distances.  Everybody should have sunglasses (prescription or non-prescription based on their eyes)  UV exposure is a factor in many eye diseases, so try to protect your eyes. 

We have our own optical laboratory, which allows us to have prescriptions made to meet the highest standard.

Some of the quality frames we carry:
Marchon, Coach, Calvin Klein, ck, Flexon, Disney Princess, Ventana, Tres Jolie, X Games, Safilo, Christian Dior, kate spade, Nine West, Fossil, Hugo Boss, Marcolin, Timberland, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, Cover Girl, Tura, Silver Dollar, Black Eye, Cashmere, NRG, Cafe Lunettes, Port Royale, Durango, Wolverine, Titmus Safety Eyewear, On-Guard Safety Eyewear, Hudson Safety Eyewear

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Contact Lenses

There are several different ways of wearing contact lenses: 

Daily wear with the lenses replaced after two weeks.  The lenses are removed and cleaned each night.  This is the most common mode.   Disposable lenses are usually replaced every two weeks.

Extended wear with the lenses replaced after one week.  The lenses are not removed or cleaned at night.  This is the simplest mode but does have a much greater chance of health complications.

Daily wear with the lenses replaced every day.  There is no cleaning required. 

Social occasional wear for those times you just don't want to wear your glasses. 

Sport occasional wear for those activities in which glasses just don't work well like basketball, golfing, and swimming.

We will help you to determine if contacts are a good option for you and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.   

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Refractive Surgery

Refractive surgery is a way of improving your vision without glasses or contact lenses. It  is a valid option for those who don’t want to wear contacts or glasses. Refractive procedures have been around since the 1970's, but advances in instrumentation and techniques have only recently brought them to the forefront of modern care. There have been enormous improvements in the procedures in the last year. Your family optometrist is an objective source of information about which procedure is or isn't best for you. Your family optometrist knows you and your needs much better than the surgeon.  

One of the best LASIK surgeons in the world, Dr. Paul Dogherty, is here in Ventura County, and Dr. Steensma has a very strong association with him.  LASIK is usually $800 less than normal by going through Dr. Steensma instead of contacting  Dr Doughety directly.

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