Catonsville Eye Group offers ocular medical services. We will gladly see patients for Glaucoma evaluations, Cataract evaluations, Diabetic Eye Exams, contact lens related issues, dry irritated eyes, red eyes, pink eye, painful eyes and people experiencing flashing lights and/or floating spots.
Jonathan Bondroff O.D., heads the medical side of Catonsville Eye Group. Jonathan, a graduate from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, has an extensive knowledge of ocular diseases and systemic diseases associated with eye problems.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a progressive optic nerve disease that causes degenerative peripheral vision loss with eventual central vision loss. This disease may appear with mild or no symptoms. Mild symptoms may include mild pain headaches and eye pain. This disease is a silent disease. Risk factors include systemic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and autoimmune diseases, family history and race. During a comprehensive eye exam patients are screened for this disease by checking intraocular pressures and viewing the optic nerves. If anything appears suspicious, a glaucoma evaluation is necessary, but definitely does not mean that one has the disease.
Macular Degeneration
Macular Degeneration is a degenerative disease of the central vision caused by a back up of metabolites and waste into the macula or the area that controls the central vision. Symptoms include decreased vision, abnormal changes such as straight lines looking crooked or strange morphing of what one is viewing. Risk factors include smoking, familial history and systemic diseases. During a comprehensive eye exam, the doctor will evaluate the macula for any changes and will help the patient understand and explain the appropriate path the patient will need to follow if needed.
Cataracts
Cataracts are a clouding or opacification of the natural lens in the eye. Symptoms include blurred vision, glare, halos and/or difficulty driving at night. Risks factors include diabetes, certain medications, age, exposure to extensive ultraviolet rays and familial history. The lens of the eye is evaluated at each comprehensive exam. If the doctor feels that the cataract is visually significant, he will refer the patient to an ophthalmologist for an evaluation for potential surgical extraction. Cataract surgery is highly successful, highly performed, and very noninvasive.
Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry Eye Syndrome is an inflammatory ocular surface disease caused by tear deficiency, lid margin disease, or dysfunction of the glands. Risk factors include certain diseases such as diabetes, autoimmune problems, age, lid margin disease and some systemic medications. This is a very common disease and can be managed at the Catonsville Eye Group. Mostly a chronic disease, use of topical medication can keep the symptoms and signs under control. If necessary, plugging of the drainage system, and even oral medications may be needed.
Diabetes
Diabetes is not simply a disease of high sugar in the blood but is also a small and medium blood vessel disease that due to high fluctuations or consistent high blood sugar, can cause leaking of these blood vessels. Diabetic retinopathy is when diabetes affects the eyes. This is a potentially blinding disease caused by bleeding, not enough blood flow, new weak vessel formation and/or retinal detachments. Diabetic patients should have a full dilated eye exam every year.
