August is National Eye Exam Month, making it a timely reminder to check on your own eye health—and your family’s. Regular eye exams can help detect eye diseases before noticeable vision problems develop.

If you have glaucoma, this message is especially important to share with your loved ones.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, which carries visual information from your eye to your brain. One of the biggest challenges with glaucoma is that it usually does not cause symptoms in its early stages.

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), about half of people with glaucoma do not know they have it. Vision loss often happens slowly and may begin with side, or peripheral, vision. Because these changes can be gradual, someone may feel that their vision is fine even while glaucoma is causing damage.

Once vision is lost from glaucoma, it generally cannot be restored. However, finding and treating glaucoma early can help slow or prevent additional vision loss.

That is why an eye exam matters before you notice a problem.

If You Have Glaucoma, Your Family Should Know

Anyone can develop glaucoma, but having a family history of glaucoma increases your risk. The National Eye Institute lists family history as one of the important risk factors for the disease.

In fact, research cited by the American Academy of Ophthalmology found that people with a parent or sibling with glaucoma had about 9 times higher odds of developing glaucoma compared with people without that family history.

That means your own glaucoma diagnosis is valuable health information for your relatives.

Consider talking with your:

• Parents
• Brothers and sisters
• Adult children
• Other close relatives who may share your family’s eye health history

Having glaucoma in the family does not mean your relatives will definitely develop it. It does mean that they should tell their eye doctor about their family history and ask how often they should have their eyes examined.

The Glaucoma Research Foundation also encourages people with glaucoma to make sure their family members understand their increased risk and receive comprehensive eye exams.

You do not need to make the conversation complicated. You could simply say:

“I have glaucoma, and it can run in families. Because it often doesn’t cause symptoms early on, please tell your eye doctor about our family history and ask if you should be checked.”

National Eye Exam Month is a great reason to start that conversation.

👉🏼 Read more: Why It’s Important to Talk to Your Family About Glaucoma. 

Don’t Wait for Vision Changes

A person can have glaucoma and still feel like they see normally. That is why waiting for blurry vision, pain, or other symptoms is not a good way to know whether glaucoma is developing.

A comprehensive dilated eye exam allows an eye care professional to look closely at the structures inside the eye, including the optic nerve.

For someone at risk for glaucoma, an evaluation may include:

• A discussion about family history
• A vision check
• Measurement of eye pressure
• Examination of the optic nerve and retina
• Visual field testing when needed to look for areas of vision loss

Checking eye pressure is important, but pressure alone does not tell the whole story. Some people develop glaucoma even when their eye pressure is within what is generally considered a normal range. Examining the optic nerve and looking at a person’s overall risk are also important.

The National Eye Institute recommends that people at higher risk for glaucoma talk with an eye care professional about how often they need a comprehensive dilated eye exam. For many people at higher risk, that may mean an exam every one to two years, depending on their individual circumstances.

This Month, Encourage Someone You Love to Get Checked

Living with glaucoma means taking steps to protect your own vision—keeping appointments, using medications as prescribed, and following your eye doctor’s recommendations.

But there is another important step you can take.

This National Eye Exam Month, talk to your family.

If you have glaucoma, encourage your parents, siblings, adult children, and other close relatives to:

1. Tell their eye doctor that glaucoma runs in the family.
2. Ask when they should have a comprehensive dilated eye exam.
3. Get checked even if they have no vision problems.

Glaucoma often gives little warning before permanent vision loss occurs. Your family members may not know they are at increased risk unless you tell them.

One conversation—and one eye exam—could help someone you love protect their sight for years to come.

Sources

• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). (April 2026) “Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Preferred Practice Pattern.” aaojournal.org
• National Eye Institute. (Accessed in August 2026). “Glaucoma. Information on glaucoma symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment.” nei.nih.gov
• National Eye Institute. (Accessed in August 2026). “National Eye Institute Statement on Detection of Glaucoma and Adult Vision Screening.” nei.nih.gov
• Glaucoma Research Foundation. (May 4, 2026). “Is Glaucoma Hereditary? Family History & Genetic Risks.” glaucoma.org