It’s wise for seniors to have annual eye exams to maintain eye health and catch warning signs early.

Some 11 million Americans have macular degeneration and 3 million have glaucoma, but you don’t have to be among them. An eye exam usually involves three important tests:

• Visual acuity — using an eye chart to test your sight at various distances.

• Pupil dilation — widening the pupil with eyedrops to look for signs of disease.

• Tonometry — testing the fluid pressure inside the eye to detect glaucoma.

To help people get the exams they need, the BrightFocus Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving brain and eye health through research and public education. For additional information, visit

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