Your vision is precious. Unfortunately, there are many conditions and ailments that can damage your vision over time. Glaucoma is one such illness which causes direct damage to your optic nerve, and proper diagnosis and treatment of this disease is critical when it comes to saving your vision. Here are four tips to help you prevent and treat glaucoma:

1. Make lifestyle changes.

Especially if you know you're at risk for glaucoma, it's vital that you make an effort to lower your risk factors. Regular exercise can improve your health and lower your chance of contracting glaucoma. If you're overweight, you should strive to lose it and return to a healthier weight for your height. According to Bright Focus, you should also take steps to control your blood pressure, since it can have an effect on your intraocular pressure.

2. Visit your ophthalmologist regularly.

Since glaucoma causes no pain and doesn't have a pronounced affect on vision in its early stages, you could be walking around with this condition without realizing it. That's why regular eye doctor appointments are so important. An ophthalmologist will use a special machine to measure the pressure on the surface of your eye. Increased pressure is a symptom of glaucoma. If you're at risk for glaucoma, your ophthalmologist may also want to use imaging machines to take pictures of your optic nerve for examination.

3. Take your medication as directed.

If your ophthalmologist diagnoses you with glaucoma, they will prescribe a treatment plan to manage your condition. Often the first course of treatment will be prescription eye drops designed to lower your intraocular pressure. Make sure you use these eye drops as directed. Glaucoma can lead to permanent blindness, so you should treat your medication regimen with the seriousness it deserves. Talk to your doctor if your condition seems to be worsening because they may need to adjust your medication or try a different type.

4. Consider surgery.

In cases of severe glaucoma that can't be managed with medication alone, your ophthalmologist may recommend surgery. During glaucoma surgery, your surgeon will make an incision using surgical tools or a laser, which will relieve some of the pressure in your eye. This will release some of the tension on your optic nerve, which can save it from further damage. While surgery won't restore your vision if it's already been damaged, it can prevent further damage from occurring.

Get in touch with a company like Idaho Eye and Laser Center for more information.