Winter will be here in just a few short weeks, which means it's time to start worrying about your eyes. If you thought summer was bad on your eyes, wait until the cold weather arrives. Winter can cause serious problems for your eyes. Here are some tips that will help you protect your vision this winter.

1. Keep Your Eyes Moist

It may be raining outside, but that doesn't means your eyes won't dry out. In fact, with the increased heater usage inside your home or office, your eyes can dry out quickly. Dry eyes are not only uncomfortable, they're also more susceptible to infections and injuries. To protect your eyes from dryness this winter, keep a supply of moisturizing eye drops with you at all times.

2. Cover Your Eyes

During the winter, you need to keep your eyes covered whenever you're outside. There are a lot of hazards in the air once the skies turn dark and gray.

Sunglasses

The sun may have gone into hiding, but those harmful UV rays haven't. They can still pose a serious threat to your vision. Whenever you go outside during the winter, wear your sunglasses; even if the skies are overcast and cloudy. UV rays can burn right through the clouds and damage your eyes.

Protective Eye Wear

If you're involved in winter sports, wear your protective eye wear. Safety goggles will protect your eyes from serious injuries associated with things like skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling. Whenever you're going to be playing in the snow, have your protective eye wear on at all times.

3. Wash Your Hands Often

Once winter arrives, increase the number of times you wash your hands each day. You come in contact with a lot of germs during the winter. Each time you touch your eyes with dirty hands, you increase your risk of infections. Someone with conjunctivitis could have touched the surface before you. Once you touch your eyes with dirty hands, you could pass the infection on to your own eyes. Protect your vision by washing your hands more frequently this winter.

4. Watch for Vision Changes

You should never ignore issues involving your eyes. If you notice vision changes this winter, schedule an appointment to have your eyes examined as soon as possible. Eye pain, cloudiness, or other changes could b signs of serious vision problems. Serious eye diseases and injuries should be examined by an ophthalmologist.