People with different eye color and size: disease or norm

Eyes of different colors - this phenomenon is called heterochromia. This does not happen often, so many of us are surprised by people with different colored and sized eyes. The iris can change its shade throughout life, but in the vast majority of cases the phenomenon is congenital.

Different eyes: for some it is a highlight, but for others it is an unpleasant feature.

Some people think that meeting a person with different eyes is lucky, while others, on the contrary, avoid such people. So why does this happen, and what could it mean?

What does it mean?

Heterochromia cannot be classified as a disease or any mystical signs. According to experts, there is no "magic" in people with different eyes. The shade of the iris reflects the content of the pigment melanin, which explains this or that color.

Heterochromia cannot affect the quality of visual function in any way - it is just a feature of the body. In some cases, the color of one eye can change during life - for example, after mechanical damage.

People with heterochromia certainly stand out from the crowd and attract increased attention. Few people are indifferent to them: basically, this phenomenon is either admired or feared.

Different eyes can occur not only in humans, but also in many animals. Cats are often the owners of different eyes - and there is a popular belief that "different-eyed" pets bring luck and happiness to the house.

What do different eyes say about a person?

Of course, different colored eyes are a kind of anomaly. But this kind of phenomenon in no way indicates that a person is inferior or definitely sick. Yes, hidden pathology is possible - but not in all cases. Among the rare hereditary diseases that are accompanied by the appearance of eyes of different colors, one can name the little-known Waardenburg syndrome. The syndrome is characterized by the appearance of other signs:

• hearing loss of varying severity;
• a strand of gray hair above the forehead area.

Another possible pathology is neurofibromatosis, in which the function of several organs and systems in the body is impaired. Along with different colored eyes, such a patient may have light-coffee-colored spots on the skin, neurofibromas, and so-called Lisch nodules.

To make sure that different eyes are not a disease, you need to visit a doctor. It is advisable to undergo a medical examination annually to avoid possible complications.

Beliefs

Since ancient times, people with different eye colors have been openly avoided: according to beliefs, they were considered unsafe for other, "normal" residents. Neither science nor medicine at that time could explain such a phenomenon, and what is inexplicable is mysticism. This is exactly the point of view held by people who lived many centuries ago.

It is no secret that in many countries, people with "different eyes" were considered to be of the devil's kind. It is not for nothing that in the paintings painted in the old days, Satan was always depicted with different eyes: one was bluish, and the other was black.

If a child with such a feature was born into a family, then his mother was immediately accused of having a devilish connection - that is, she was considered a witch.

In addition, it was believed that a person with different colored eyes could cast the evil eye. Therefore, they tried to stay away from him, and during a conversation they avoided direct eye contact and hurried away. Moreover, if there was a fire in the area or cattle died, it was the resident suspected of having connections with the devil - the owner of different colored eyes - who was blamed for all the troubles.

Fortunately, nowadays people have almost completely gotten rid of superstitions. On the contrary, many consider having different eyes a sign of luck and fortune. Meeting such a person on the street today is a good sign.

Statistics

Odd-looking eyes are a relatively rare occurrence, occurring in approximately 0.8% of the world's population, predominantly in women.

In most cases, heterochromia is congenital.

In the animal world, different eye colors are much more common than in humans. This picture can be observed in cats, dogs, horses, cows.

Reasons for different eye colors

If a person is born with different eyes, sometimes this can be a sign of certain pathologies. For example, such a symptom is accompanied by:

• pigment dispersion syndrome – the so-called pigment glaucoma, in which pigment is washed out of the pigment epithelium;
• vitiligo is a skin disease in which pigmentation is lost due to the destruction of melanin;
• Waardenburg syndrome is a hereditary disorder that is transmitted in an irregular autosomal dominant manner;
• ocular melanosis is a congenital anomaly in the development of the sclera;
• hypoplasia of the iris, or its incomplete development;
• Bloch-Siemens (Sulzberger) syndrome – pigment incontinence, pigment dermatosis.

If the shade of the iris has changed in old age, this phenomenon may indicate the development of ophthalmological inflammatory processes, tumors, hemosiderosis, etc.

Often the shade of the iris changes as a result of injury or even after the use of certain eye medications.

However, you should not immediately think about the presence of a disease: most often, the color change is caused by a condition called mosaicism. The causes of mosaicism are unknown: presumably, the main factor in its development is mutation, but there is no reliable information on this issue yet.

Why do people have different eye colors?

The color shade of the eyes is determined by the properties of the iris. The level of melanin in the iris, the frequency and uniformity of the pigment distribution determine the color and its saturation: from brownish-black to light bluish.

The type of color shade is formed within 1-3 months after the baby is born, and the eye color that a person will have "for life" is fixed only by 1-2 years. If there is little pigment in the iris, then the eye shade will be light, and if there is a lot of melanin, then it will be dark. If different amounts of pigment are concentrated in different parts of the iris, or it is unevenly distributed, then heterochromia can develop - a condition when people have different eye colors.

Pathogenesis

Depending on the degree and type of pigmentation of the iris, there are several varieties of this condition:

• Complete heterochromia (both eyes are a different shade).
• Partial heterochromia (one eye has several color shades at the same time).
• Central heterochromia (the iris has a series of complete color rings).

Most often, the first type can be observed - complete heterochromia, for example, if the color of one and the other eye differs dramatically.

Medical workers sometimes encounter pathology that develops as a result of damage to the iris. Such pathology can be:

• simple, due to congenital underdevelopment of the cervical sympathetic nerve;
• complex (uveitis accompanying Fuchs syndrome ).

There are known cases when people changed the color of one of their eyes after mechanical damage to the organ of vision by an object made of iron or copper. This phenomenon is called metallosis (depending on the type of metal - siderosis or chalcosis ): along with signs of an inflammatory process in the eyeball, there is a change in the shade of the iris. Most often in such a situation, the iris becomes rusty-brownish, less often - greenish-blue.

Different eye sizes in humans

Eye pathologies often have rich symptoms. For example, such diseases are characterized by reddening of the conjunctiva, a burning sensation, and the appearance of discharge. Less often, another symptom can be noticed: different sizes of eyes in a person. With a long-term inflammatory process, the location of one eye may seem higher.

In young children, this phenomenon may be associated with underdevelopment of the muscles and nerve fibers in the cervical region, which affects the function of the facial muscles. Visually, this may be expressed in a change in the size of the eyes.

It is important to pay attention to other symptoms that occur: if the patient has impaired pronunciation, facial muscles are immobilized, paresis of the limbs occurs, then the help of a neurologist should be urgent.

Another possible reason for one eye becoming smaller is an inflammatory process affecting the facial nerve. Inflammation often occurs as a result of hypothermia or dental problems.

Of course, it is not always necessary to suspect pathology: sometimes people are born with different eye sizes, and this is their peculiarity, which is in no way connected with a pathological condition. If the eye size has changed during life, then a doctor's consultation should be mandatory.

Character of people with different eye colors

Some psychologists are inclined to believe that people with eyes of different colors have pronounced contradictions between their internal state and external manifestations. To put it simply, these people are not what they want to seem. Perhaps, from the outside they look selfish, withdrawn, or, on the contrary, outrageous and even a little crazy. In most cases, all this is only external manifestations. In fact, such people often have their own hobbies, like to do household chores, they are self-possessed and patient.

It is also believed that "different-eyed" people are very sensitive and stubborn. Perhaps this is so. However, we should not forget that we are all different, with our own characteristics and characters. Therefore, we cannot draw parallels: a person has different eyes - it means that he is not like everyone else. Each person is individual, regardless of the shade of his eyes.

Consequences and complications

For any reason for different eye colors, it is advisable to periodically consult an eye doctor - an ophthalmologist, or an ophthalmologist. Most people with different eyes do not have a problem as such - congenital heterochromia is most often absolutely harmless. But there are exceptions to the rule. This is especially true for those patients whose eye color began to differ in old age.

If your eyes have become different in the course of your life, you should definitely see a doctor. Pathological disorders that could lead to the appearance of such a sign are desirable to detect as early as possible in order to prevent the development of subsequent complications. Among the most common problems are:

• gradual deterioration of vision;
• structural abnormalities in the eyeball.

Of course, you should never panic, but you shouldn't ignore the problem either. Observation by a medical specialist certainly won't hurt.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ]

Diagnosis of different eye colors

Diagnosis is usually straightforward if heterochromia is hereditary. If different eye colors are the only symptom, no further diagnostics or treatment are prescribed.

When a doctor suspects that a patient has a pathology, he may resort to additional research.

A consultation with highly specialized doctors is prescribed: in addition to an ophthalmologist, the patient may be examined by a dermatologist, neurologist, oncologist, geneticist, neurosurgeon, or orthopedist.

The choice of further diagnostic methods depends on what disease is suspected. The following types of research may be used:

• ophthalmoscopy – examination of the fundus of the eye;
• Ultrasound of the eyeball – examination of the structure of the eye and nearby tissues, such as the lens, retina, eye muscles, retrobulbar tissue, etc.;
• pachymetry – measurement of corneal thickness, which is often performed simultaneously with biomicroscopy;
• perimetry is a method for assessing the visual field to determine its limiting capabilities and deficiencies;
• gonioscopy – examination of the anterior chamber of the eye, which is located between the iris and the cornea;
• retinal angiography – examination of the fundus and the smallest vessels of the retina;
• electrooculography – determination of the activity of the eyeball;
• Refractometry – diagnostics of the optical abilities of the eye.

Today, there are a huge number of ophthalmological centers where any patient can undergo a complete eye examination. But it is better to contact only specialized clinics that have both the required diagnostic equipment and qualified specialists who can competently explain and interpret the results of the examinations.

[ 3 ]

Differential diagnostics

Some pathological conditions that require differential diagnosis may lead to a change in the color shade of the iris.

Changes in the color of the iris may be associated with:

• with congenital features;
• with the presence of Horner's syndrome.

Heterochromia may accompany:

• oculodermal melanocytosis ( nevus of Ota );
• post-traumatic siderosis;
• Sturge-Weber syndrome;
• melanoma or diffuse nevus of the iris.

[ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ]

Treatment for different eye colors

Will the doctor prescribe treatment for different eye colors? This depends, in particular, on whether there are other pathological symptoms, whether the disease is developing, etc. If the shade of one eye has simply changed, then treatment is inappropriate. Of course, the doctor will carry out all the necessary diagnostic measures: if everything is in order, then there is no need for treatment.

However, sometimes there is still a need for therapy:

• Surgical treatment is prescribed only in extreme situations – for example, in cases of cataracts or Fuchs syndrome.
• External treatment with steroid hormones is appropriate in the further development of the disease process.
• Surgery may also be necessary in case of eye injury: in order to remove a foreign body.

Any eye injury can provoke the development of an inflammatory process and even vision loss. In such a situation, the doctor prescribes treatment with antibacterial drops and miotics.

Forecast

Different eye colors are usually a stable condition that remains with a person for life. If a foreign object gets in - siderosis or chalcosis, the color shade can return to its previous state, provided that all particles of the foreign body are removed.

In most cases, people with different eye colors and sizes remain so for life: restoration of iris pigmentation is considered unlikely.

Famous People With Different Eye Colors

Many ordinary people show particular interest in the external features of famous people, which include actors, artists, athletes, and politicians. On the Internet, you can find a relatively large number of famous people who are distinguished by some version of heterochromia.

For example, a complete or partial version of “different eyes” has been noted in the following famous people:

• Mila Kunis: she has brown eyes on the left side and blue eyes on the right side;
• Jane Seymour: The eye on the right side is greenish-brown, and the eye on the left side is green;
• Kate Bosworth: blue eye on the left, bluish-brown on the right;
• Kiefer Sutherland has sectoral heterochromia: a mixture of blue and gray;
• David Bowie has post-traumatic heterochromia.

Historical literature points to the fact that Alexander the Great had different colored eyes. According to the description of the Greek chronicler Arrian, Alexander the Great had one black eye and one bluish eye.

As an example, we can cite literary characters who have different eyes:

• Woland is one of the main characters in Mikhail Bulgakov’s cult work “The Master and Margarita”;
• Vasily Semenov is a tank commander from the book by Janusz Przymanowski “Four Tankmen and a Dog”.

Why do I dream of a person with different eyes?

Many people associate eyes with something metaphysical, symbolic and even magical. Therefore, seeing them in a dream, subconsciously creates an illusion of some kind of sign, an indication that requires decoding.

Dreams often reflect the emotional experiences of the sleeper. Therefore, the details of what you saw in a dream can tell you a lot - and not only about the past, but also about the future - about what fate has prepared for a person.

What can be said about a dream in which a person with different eye colors or sizes appears? As a rule, this indicates the presence of a connection with a deceiver and a two-faced person in life. Such a deceiver may be a companion, a business or life partner, a close relative.

Often such dreams are seen by people with a vulnerable nervous system, who are in a depressed, oppressed state, or who feel rejected and abandoned.