What does different eye color mean? Eye heterochromia. Causes and myths. Why do people have different eyes

Sometimes there are interesting people who have eyes of different colors. They usually have one eye lighter than the other. This interesting phenomenon is called heterochromia.

This disease is rare, but it does occur nonetheless. In such cases, part of the iris of the eye acquires a shade of a different color. Such a personality is not very common. Therefore, a person with eyes of different colors stands out from the general mass of people. This is a rather unusual phenomenon.

In ancient times, the difference in the color of the eyes of a person aroused genuine interest among others. They were considered sorcerers and sorcerers. It is known that according to legend, the devil had different eyes - one blue and the other black. In this regard, the people who believed in superstitions were afraid of people with multi-colored eyes. In the modern world, there is still an opinion that a person with heterochromia has an unkind eye. But no matter how others treat people with multi-colored eyes - such people are original and have a non-standard look.

Eye color can change due to various factors. Iritis, inflammation of the iris, iridocyclide, glaucoma and trauma, tumors, as well as other disorders, contribute to a change in the color of the iris. Sometimes the shell of the eye can change color due to stress or hormonal disorders. Also, due to taking a number of medications, changes in the color of the iris are possible.

So, in the treatment of glaucoma, drugs that lower intraocular pressure are used. Because of such drugs, the iris membrane darkens. Often two eyes darken at once. For example, blue eyes become gray. In this case, heterochromia leads to a radical change in the color of the iris. This disease may be hereditary. With all this, such changes in the color of the iris of the eye does not affect visual acuity. The disease of heterochromia has only an external manifestation. No other symptoms were identified. But sometimes complications are possible - cataracts.

There are such forms of cataract in diseases of different eyes:

• pathological congenital heterochromia - paresis of the cervical sympathetic nerve;
• simple form;
• fuchs disease;
• complications caused by chalcosis or siderosis.

The degree of threat of heterochromia

Doctors have come to the conclusion that a decrease or increase in the rate of melanin changes the color of the eyes.

• With a trophic congenital disorder, the pigment is produced in the wrong amount, and if there are organic or physical changes in the nervous system in the body, then this disease is activated.
• As a result of uveitis, the color can also change.
• With a simple form of heterochromia, changes may not be noticed.
• Horner's syndrome appears due to paresis of the cervical nerve. In this case, there are significant deviations. Fuchs-type disease causes cloudiness in the vitreous body, and the iris of the eye is destroyed.
• Heterochromia with sederosis (caused by iron dust) or chalcosis (when copper salt gets into the eyes) is expressed by the presence of bright pigmentation. After removing the foreign particle from the eye, the color of the iris takes on the original color.
• If heterochromia is caused by congenital pathologies, the eyes remain multi-colored for life.

What should be the norm of eye color

The pattern and color of the iris is an individual characteristic. It is easy to recognize a specific person by such personalities, for example, by fingerprints. The norm is the same eye color. With age, the iris of the eye fades and loses its luster. The color of the iris can also change with age. These changes occur with both eyes at the same time. This is how the body's natural aging process proceeds. But, when color changes are noticeable in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe eye, this indicates the presence of a disease. If the color of the iris changes, then you should immediately visit a doctor.

If nature has endowed a person with a different shade of eyes (for example, one eye is green, the other is blue, or one eye is brown, the other is green), this phenomenon is known as heterochromia.

In ancient times, different eye colors were considered something mystical, otherworldly. Now, modern advances in medicine make it easy to explain this phenomenon.

Causes of different eye color

Researchers still cannot give an exact answer to the question of why heterochromia occurs.. The most common theory is that these are just features of individual development, an unusual natural phenomenon. However, the following reasons for this feature are distinguished:

• Congenital or simple form of heterochromia- when the eyes of a different color in a person, and other violations of the visual organ are not observed. This is a fairly rare form of anomaly. Heterochromia may not manifest itself immediately, but during the first two years of a child's life.
• Complicated heterochromia- often appears against the background of Fuchs syndrome. This pathology is characterized by damage to one eye, while heterochromia is weakly expressed or absent. The cause may be more dangerous conditions, for example, the development of a tumor process. In this case, the person will present other complaints;
• Acquired form- discoloration arose as a result of trauma, inflammation, tumors, irrational use of eye drops. A change in color can occur, for example, after the smallest particle of a metal enters the eye. Because of this, the iris becomes greenish, blue, brown or rusty.

The most commonplace cause of heterochromia, not associated with any diseases and injuries, is wearing colored contact lenses. The modern ophthalmic market is represented by a variety of lenses that can change not only the color of the iris, but the shape of the pupil.

Features of two-tone eyes

The frequency of heterochromia is approximately 10 cases per thousand. Its main reason is an excessively high or low content of coloring pigment. This substance is called melanin and is responsible for one or another shade of the human eye.

The color of the iris consists of several pigments: yellow, blue and brown. The shade of the eyes is determined by the proportion of these pigments. An interesting fact is that each individual has his own form of heterochromia, i.e. it is impossible to meet a person with identical manifestations of the anomaly. This is not a disease, but a unique feature of a person.

There are several types of heterochromia:

• Complete heterochromia- manifested by the fact that both eyes have a different shade. Most often there are people with various combinations of blue, there may also be one eye brown, the other blue;
• Sector or partial- the iris is painted with several contrasting colors. Most often there are combinations such as a combination of gray, blue and brown. Sometimes there is a blue color of the eyes with white patches. In most cases, this form of anomaly is caused by mechanical damage to the visual apparatus or a past disease;
• Central - the color of the iris is different in that several distinct multi-colored rings are distinguishable on it.

It is not necessary to treat heterochromia, since the anomaly does not affect the quality of visual function. Only in rare cases, a different eye color is a symptom of an ophthalmic pathology.

Famous people with heterochromia

Most often there are odd-eyed people with a complete type of heterochromia, but sometimes there are also persons with a partial form. There are not so many famous personalities with heterochromia.

Among them are composer Tim McIlroth, actress Jane Seymour, actress Olivia Wilde, athlete Ilya Kovalchuk, rock singer David Bowie, dancer Michael Flatley, boxer Jane Pulver.

Currently, there is almost no information about famous people from Russia or the CIS countries.

Animals with different eyes

Multi-colored eyes are found not only in humans, but also in animals. It should be noted that different eye color is most characteristic of certain breeds. Such animals include Husky dogs, Persian cat, Turkish Angorka breed cat, Border Collie dogs, Turkish Van cats, Australian Shepherd. This trend is most likely due to the fact that purebred cats and dogs are bred artificially, as a result of which various mutations occur.

In Turkey, Angora cats with different eye colors are considered the most valuable. This is the so-called "national decoration" of the country.

Useful video

The video provides more information on the topic of heterochromia anomaly and its features.

Vision is restored up to 90%

Poor vision significantly worsens the quality of life, makes it impossible to see the world as it is. Not to mention the progression of pathologies and complete blindness.

What do Alexander the Great, Mila Kunis, Jane Seymour and David Bowie have in common? Besides the fact that they are all personalities whose names are well known to many people around the world, all four of them have eyes of different colors. In other words, they have heterochromia - a rather rare condition that occurs in less than 1% of the world's population. What is heterochromia - a disease or an exceptional feature?

What causes heterochromia?

The color of a person's eyes is determined by the iris, or iris. Depending on the content of melanin pigment in its cells and the nature of its distribution, the iris can have a color from light blue to almost black. The color shade of the iris develops during the first months after the birth of a child, the final color of his eyes is established in the first - second year of life, and the amount of melanin determines how dark the eye color will be. The less melanin, the lighter the eyes will be, and vice versa. In some cases, when the concentration of melanin and its distribution are not uniform, a condition known as iris heterochromia can occur.
Heterochromia (from the Greek ἕτερος - “different”, “different”; χρῶμα - “color”) - a different color of the iris of the right and left eyes or an unequal color of different parts of the iris of one eye. It is the result of some excess or deficiency of melanin in different eyes, where one eye may be less pigmented, the other more. Heterochromia is quite rare and occurs in less than 1% of the world's population. It can be hereditary or acquired due to eye injury or the development of certain diseases. Many people believe that multi-colored eyes give the face a uniqueness. If one eye is blue and the other brown, then the difference is immediately noticeable. To see that one eye is gray and the other blue is more difficult, and only by looking closely, you can determine the difference.

Types of Heterochromia

Depending on the type of staining of the iris, several types of heterochromia are distinguished: complete, in which both eyes have a different color (Fig. 1); partial, or sectoral, when several different color shades are presented in the iris of one eye at once (Fig. 2); central, when the iris has several full-fledged colored rings (Fig. 3). The most common type is complete heterochromia, when, for example, one eye is colored brown and the other is blue. The second type, partial heterochromia, is in some cases the result of inherited diseases such as Hirschsprung disease and Waardenburg syndrome. In women, heterochromia is more common than in representatives of the strong half of humanity. In medical practice, there are known forms of heterochromia resulting from damage to the iris: simple - abnormal staining of the membrane of the eye with congenital weakness of the cervical sympathetic nerve; complicated - uveitis in Fuchs syndrome (a chronic disease characterized by damage to one of the eyes, which is expressed by a change in the color of the iris).
Some people have noted the development of heterochromia after traumatizing the eye with an iron or copper foreign body, when it was not removed in a timely manner. This process is called metallosis of the eye, and when it occurs, a number of symptoms appear that are characteristic of inflammation of the eyeball, and in addition, the color of the iris changes. Often with metallosis of the eye, the iris becomes brown-rusty, but it can also be green-blue.
Is it possible to restore the color of the iris? With congenital heterochromia, medical treatment will not help, but colored or tinted contact lenses can even out the visible color of the eyes. With metallosis, eye color can be restored after successful removal of a foreign body, and with inflammation of the eye - with complete cure.

Heterochromia in animals

In animals, the phenomenon of heterochromia is more common than in humans (Fig. 4). You can see this anomaly in cats, dogs, horses, cows and even buffaloes.

Rice. 4. Animals with complete heterochromia

Most often, complete heterochromia occurs in cats with a partial or complete white color, for example, in the Turkish Angora and Turkish Van breeds. According to legend, the favorite cat of the Prophet Muhammad - Muizza - had eyes of different colors. Among dogs, heterochromia is often seen in breeds such as the Siberian Husky. Horses with complete heterochromia usually have one brown eye and a second white, gray, or blue eye, with heterochromia of the eye occurring in piebald animals.
As a rule, animals have complete heterochromia: one eye is blue or gray-blue in color, and the other is colored yellow, copper or brown. Partial heterochromia among animals is a rarer phenomenon, it is characterized by partial inclusions of a color different from the main color of the iris. More often than in other animals, partial heterochromia occurs in dogs of the Australian Shepherd and Border Collie breeds.
Heterochromia is a condition whose gene is inherited, it does not carry any complications and inconveniences to the animal. Its presence does not affect visual acuity and photosensitivity, and the pupil reacts to light with a sharp narrowing, as in ordinary animals. Nevertheless, breeding animals with heterochromia is not recommended, it is considered a marriage of the breed, although some animal lovers specifically select odd-eyed pets for themselves.

Should You Be Worried If You Have Heterochromia?

Of course, heterochromia is an anomaly, but its presence does not necessarily mean the presence of hidden health problems. Nevertheless, there is evidence that heterochromia may be associated with some hereditary diseases. One example of such diseases is Waardenburg's syndrome, in which children develop the following clinical signs: congenital hearing loss of varying degrees, a gray strand above the forehead, and heterochromia. Another example is a disease such as neurofibromatosis, which affects many organs and even entire systems. Outwardly, it is accompanied by the presence on the skin of many spots of coffee-milk color, neurofibromas and pigmented iris hamartomas (bream nodules). Experts recommend not only children, but also adults with congenital or acquired heterochromia to undergo an annual medical examination.
If you notice a sudden change in the color of the iris, the appearance of heterochromia, this may be due to a medical condition. In this case, you need to contact an ophthalmologist who will conduct a thorough examination and identify the presence of problems.

Diagnosis and treatment of heterochromia

We must say right away that heterochromia itself is not a disease. However, it can be the result of some serious diseases and therefore requires a medical examination by an ophthalmologist. If pathologies are detected during the examination, the doctor will give a referral for tests and other laboratory tests. Depending on the type of pathology detected, medical or surgical treatment will be carried out. With complete cure of the disease, eye color can be restored. With congenital pathology, it will be possible to change the shade only with the help of.

Famous people with heterochromia

The media pay special attention to describing the appearance of famous people - actors, singers, athletes, politicians, looking for the slightest deviations from the norm. The British version of Wikipedia, when requested, will give you a whole list of celebrities with one or another type of heterochromia.
So, partial or complete heterochromia was noted in Hollywood actress Mila Kunis: her left eye is brown, her right eye is blue; the British actress Jane Seymour: the right eye is a combination of green with hazel, the left eye is green; American actress Kate Bosworth: left eye - blue, right - blue with hazel; sectoral heterochromia of both eyes is present in the Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland - a combination of green and blue, in the British actor Benedict Cumberbatch; acquired heterochromia after an injury in a fight was noted in the British rock musician, singer and producer David Bowie (Fig. 5). Many other celebrities also have heterochromia.

Rice. 5. A whole list of celebrities with one type or another of heterochromia has been compiled.
On the picture (top down) Cast: Kate Bosworth, David Bowie, Jane Seymour, Mila Kunis

The fact that Alexander the Great had complete heterochromia is mentioned by the Greek historian Arrian, who described Alexander as a strong, attractive commander, one eye of which was black as night, and the other blue as the sky.
There are many examples of heterochromia among well-known literary characters: Woland (“the right eye is black, the left one is green for some reason”) from The Master and Margarita and Lieutenant Viktor Myshlaevsky from Mikhail Bulgakov’s White Guard, tank commander Vasily Semenov in Janusz Przymanowski’s book Four tanker and dog.
Different eye color always attracts attention, but after reading this article, you will understand that this is most often just an abnormal deviation from the norm, hereditary or acquired.

1 See: Heterochromia iridum // Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterochromia_iridum (Accessed 09/22/2014).
2 See: Heterochromia // Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia [Website]. URL: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/ %C3 %E5 %F2 %E5 %F0 %EE %F5 %F0 %EE %EC %E8 %FF (accessed 22.09.2014).
3 See: Neurofibromatosis // Neboleem.net. Medical portal [Website]. URL: http://www.neboleem.net/neirofibromatoz.php (accessed 09/22/2014).
4 See: Heterochromia, or People with multicolored eyes // facte.ru. Cognitive magazine [Website]. URL: http://facte.ru/man/6474.html#ixzz336UHypus (date of access: 09/22/2014).
5 See: What causes different colored eyes? // essilor. URL: http://news.essilorusa.com/stories/detail/what-causes-different-colored-eyes (Date of access: 09/22/2014).
6 See: List of people with heterochromia // Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_with_heterochromia (accessed 09/22/2014).
7 See: Alexander the Great // Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great (accessed 09/22/2014).

Olga Shcherbakova, Veko magazine, 8/2014

ICD-10 ICD-9 OMIM Not to be confused with Heterochromatin. Not to be confused with Heterochronia.

Heterochromia(from Greek ἕτερος - “different”, “different”, χρῶμα - color) - a different color of the iris of the right and left eyes or an uneven color of different parts of the iris of one eye. It is the result of a relative excess or deficiency of melanin (pigment). Heterochromia also refers to a different color of the skin or hairline.

Eye color, that is, the color of the irises, is determined primarily by the concentration and distribution of melanin. An eye affected by heterochromia may be hyperpigmented or hypopigmented.

In newborn children, the color of the eyes is often brighter than usual. The eye almost always fades with age. But sometimes it can retain color depth. This is a rare occurrence, but more common in complete heterochromia, although the chances of this phenomenon are still small.

Classification and causes

Heterochromia is classified primarily as either genetic or acquired. Although a distinction is often made between heterochromia of the eye: complete(Greek heterochromia iridis) and partial. At complete heterochromia the color of one iris is different from the color of the other. At partial heterochromia or sectoral heterochromia the color of one part of the iris is different from the color of the rest.

congenital heterochromia

It is usually inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.

• Simple heterochromia is a phenomenon characterized by the absence of other eye or systemic problems. Abnormally light eyes are usually considered as iris hypoplasia. It can manifest itself either completely or partially.
• Waardenburg syndrome
• Horner's syndrome
• Piebaldism - the presence on the skin of the limbs, face, and some other parts of the body of congenital white, completely devoid of melanocytes, spots; inherited in an autosomal dominant manner and due to various mutations
• Hirschsprung disease
• Bloch-Sulzberger Syndrome
• Parry-Romberg disease (Romberg syndrome)

Acquired heterochromia

Acquired, usually due to injury, inflammation, tumors, or the use of certain eye drops.

Abnormal darkening of the iris

• Corneal iron deposits Siderosis(deposition of iron in the tissues of the eye) and Hemosiderosis
• Certain eye drops that are used topically to lower intraocular pressure in people with glaucoma. Occurs due to stimulation of melanin synthesis in the iris
• Tumor
• iridocorneal endothelial syndrome

Abnormal illumination of the iris

• Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis - as a result of intraocular inflammation, atrophy of the iris occurs and heterochromia characteristic of this condition occurs
• Horner's syndrome - usually acquired due to neuroblastoma, but can also be congenital
• Melanoma can also cause iris lightening

In addition, heterochromia can be caused by Stilling-Turk-Duane syndrome, mosaicism, uveitis, juvenile xanthogranuloma, leukemia, and lymphoma.

Heterochromia in animals

Complete heterochromia

Odd-eyed black cat

Heterochromia is more common in animals than in humans. It usually results in a blue color in one eye.

Eyes of different colors can be found in completely white cats or in cats with a large percentage of white in color, especially in breeds such as the Van cat and Turkish Angora. Cats with eyes of different colors are called odd-eyed. Odd-eyed cats have one eye that is orange, yellow, or green, and the other eye is blue.

According to legend, the favorite cat of the Prophet Muhammad - Muizza had eyes of different colors.

In domestic dogs, heterochromia is common in the Siberian Husky breed.

Horses with complete heterochromia usually have one brown eye and a second white, gray, or blue eye. Complete heterochromia is most common in pinto horses. It is also found among cows and Asian buffaloes.

Sectoral heterochromia

Sectoral heterochromia is common in Australian Shepherds, Huskies, and Border Collies.

Notable cases of heterochromia

Heterochromia is present in Kate Bosworth, Tim McIlroth, Mila Kunis, Alice Eve.

Among the literary examples of heterochromia are the books “Mages can do everything” (all magicians with innate abilities have eyes of different colors), “Four tankers and a dog” (in the book, tank commander Vasily Semyonov has different eyes), “White Guard” (Lieutenant Viktor Myshlaevsky) and The Master and Margarita (Woland) by Mikhail Bulgakov. In the literary series Ethnogenesis, heterochromia is used as an indicator that the heroes are wearing one or another magical artifact.

Many heroes of computer games, cartoons and anime have heterochromia.

Gallery

different eye color

The color of the eyes depends on the blood filling of the vessels of the iris and the amount of pigment contained in it. This thin diaphragm with a pupil is located in front of the lens and behind the cornea. The color of the pigment may indicate any disease in the body. For example, in diseases of the liver, the iris becomes yellow or brown. The natural color of pigments depends on genes and race. It can also be a characteristic feature of any nationality. There are only three pigment colors. It is brown, blue and yellow. The mixing of these pigments in the blood vessels determines the color of the eyes. For example, mixing blue and yellow gives a green color scheme.

different eye color

Sometimes there is an excess or deficiency of melanin in the iris. Then a phenomenon called heterochromia is possible, the manifestation of which is a different eye color. This condition occurs in both humans and animals. Most often, the color of one eye is brown, and the other is blue. But still, each person has his own, unique form of heterochromia. Such people look mysterious and unusual, standing out from the crowd.

Heterochromia happens:

1. Complete, when the colors of the irises of the eyes are different.

2. Partial, in which one pupil combines two colors.

Different color eyes in cats are no longer surprising. This phenomenon is familiar to us. Eyes of different colors in humans are much less common. Heterochromia can be congenital, resulting from an excess or lack of melanin. But there is also an acquired condition as a result of trauma, in people with tumors or glaucoma.

From a psychological point of view, people with different eye colors are considered extraordinary, unpredictable and fearless. However, they have egocentrism in a pronounced form. Requiring great attention to their personality, they like to be alone with themselves. As a result, they have a very narrow circle of close people.

Women with different eye colors always strive for perfection. They love to enjoy their appearance, considering it ideal. Possessing a delicate taste, they are fond of poetry, music, dancing and are great optimists.

People with different eye colors lead a measured lifestyle. Bright events are quite rare. But this is not disappointing. Thanks to their inexhaustible imagination and remarkable organizational skills, they can always arrange a holiday for themselves.

Women with different eye colors are always looking for their unique and unique. And only with him will they be wise and wonderful housewives, creating such comfort and coziness in the house that her husband can only be envied. But at the same time, these women will never forget to carefully monitor their appearance.

In such ladies, nature has an addiction to alcohol. But by virtue of their wisdom, they will easily defeat this craving. But if they try to smoke, they are unlikely to be able to quit.

When dealing with people with different eye colors, do not forget that they are very capricious and stubborn. It is unlikely that you will be able to emerge victorious in a dispute with them. They can even be rude in their desire to prove their case.

In dealing with such people, it is necessary to choose words carefully. They forgive quickly, but the resentment persists for a long time.

Heterochromia should not be taken as a disease or mutation. Different eye color does not affect health in any way. A person with heterochromia perceives the colors of the world around him absolutely normally and sees like an ordinary person.

Interesting and understandable: a person with different eye colors

First of all, it should be noted that such a phenomenon occurs in the animal world an order of magnitude more often than in the human world. For example, among cats of the Persian breed, a different eye color is considered a very common feature (usually one is bright orange, and the other is blue, which looks very unusual). A person with different eye colors can rightfully be proud of his peculiarity, because according to research, the nature of such individuals is unpredictable and impulsiveness. Often such people are fearless, like to surprise, impress. Among the shortcomings, a hypertrophied Ego can be noted: “Odd-eyed” are often fixated on themselves. They simply cannot live if others do not pay enough attention to their person. If your new acquaintance is a person with different eye colors, you can be sure that he loves loneliness and prefers to spend his free time in a narrow circle of close friends. Perhaps from the outside he looks stubborn and capricious, but as soon as you get to know him better, then make sure that this is not at all the case.

Women with different colored eyes

According to statistical studies, girls with eyes of different colors tend to be overweight. However, this does not prevent them from treating themselves with reverence: "odd-eyed" people love themselves and are determined to get the most out of life. They love holidays and entertainment and will never miss the opportunity to "shine". Another positive quality they have is patience. A woman with multi-colored eyes, most likely, will not complain about life for a long and tedious time; she would rather do anything to resolve an unpleasant situation. Most of them are creative people. Everything they put their hand to bears fruit. They sing, dance, draw, sew, knit - in all such areas, "odd-eyed" will succeed.

Marriage

A person with different eye colors is likely to be fickle in love. However, this only lasts until he meets his other half. Once this happens, your acquaintance will change so drastically that it will be difficult to recognize him. From now on, he will live only for the sake of his beloved being and will do everything to surround him with care and attention, to make his life as comfortable as possible.

Relationship with parents

If a child has eyes of different colors, you can rejoice: according to statistics, people with different colored eyes treat their parents very warmly, never conflict with them, and enjoy spending time with their families. They are touchy, but forgive easily and never harbor a grudge.

Causes of the phenomenon

Probably, every person with a different eye color wants to know about the reasons for his “feature”. By and large, there are two of them: the phenomenon can be congenital (and explained by genetics) and acquired (this indicates changes occurring in the body, most often unhealthy).

heterochrony

Any ophthalmologist will answer the question about the name of a different eye color: heterochrony. In most cases, it is caused by an excess or lack of melanin and accompanies diseases such as glaucoma or even a benign tumor. In addition, a change in eye pigmentation may be a reaction to medications.

Why do people have two different colored eyes?

I have seen people who have one eye green and the other yellow green, etc. why does this happen??

Leka

Heterochromia of the iris (heterochromia; hetero- + Greek chroma color, color; syn. heterophthalmos) - a different color of the iris of the right and left eyes or an uneven color of different parts of the iris of one eye.
People with eyes of different colors are called mosaics.
The different color is explained by the mutation of the embryo after fertilization of the egg. That is, a mutation in the blastula even before the formation of the endoderm. The earlier the mutation occurs, the brighter it manifests itself in appearance.
The owner of eyes of different colors has nothing to be afraid of - this does not mean any disease. It's just a game of nature. In some people and animals, although this phenomenon is quite rare, there are eyes of different colors. Despite the apparent asymmetry of the face caused by different eye colors, such animals and people may have features that distinguish them from other individuals, but with eyes of the same color.
It has recently been noticed that humans and animals with this multi-colored iris combination have some kind of "magical power" to attract the opposite sex of their species to them. For example, "odd-eyed" cats very easily achieve the attention of the person they are interested in. As for people, many who are familiar with odd-eyed people noted that they have some kind of "zest" and charm.
So, those who were born with multi-colored eyes should not despair, but use their natural external charm for their own purposes in order to achieve success in business and in their personal lives.
Here's a concrete example - David Bowie.

What if a person has different eyes?

*Kisunya*

"Heterochromia of the iris (heterochromia; hetero- + Greek chroma color, color; syn. heterophthalmos) - a different color of the iris of the right and left eyes or an uneven color of different parts of the iris of one eye. People whose eyes are of different colors are called mosaics.

It is the result of a relative excess or deficiency of melanin (pigment). Partial or sectoral heterochromia is less common than complete heterochromia, less than 4:1,000,000.

The different color is explained by the mutation of the embryo after fertilization of the egg. That is, a mutation in the blastula even before the formation of the endoderm. The earlier the mutation occurs, the brighter it manifests itself in appearance. The owner of eyes of different colors has nothing to be afraid of - this does not mean any disease. It's just a game of nature. In some people and animals, although this phenomenon is quite rare, there are eyes of different colors. Despite the apparent asymmetry of the face caused by different eye colors, such animals and people may have features that distinguish them from other individuals, but with eyes of the same color. For example, it has been noticed that "odd-eyed" cats very easily achieve the attention of the person they are interested in. As for people, many who are familiar with odd-eyed people noted that they have some kind of “zest” and charm.

One of the amazing features of a person that immediately attracts attention is eyes of different colors, which in medicine are called heterochromia. There is something mysterious, unknown and even mystical in this, it seems that their owner has unique knowledge and information that is inaccessible to ordinary people. The probability of meeting a person with multi-colored eyes is small, because, according to statistics, out of 1000 people, only 11 have this color.

brief information

Since ancient times, people with such an anomaly caused fear among others, they were considered sorcerers, witches, and even descendants of the devil. They were persecuted and blamed for all the misfortunes and troubles that were happening around. So, if suddenly a fire, flood or other natural disaster happened in the village, the owner of eyes of different colors was always considered guilty. Mothers who gave birth to children with different colors of the iris got no less - they were credited with a love affair with Satan. People with different eye colors caused fear among others, so a superstitious person always tried to bypass them. If a meeting with them was inevitable, then special prayers and conspiracies from corruption and the evil eye came to the rescue.

At present, science has stepped far forward and doctors can answer the question of why people have different eyes. Now people with heterochromia are not persecuted, but, no doubt, they attract the attention of others. Most owners of eyes with different colors of the iris are complex and consider this their disadvantage.

However, some of them turn the anomaly into dignity and are proud of their uniqueness, the complexes are alien to them.

What is heterochromia?

Scientists have long studied this phenomenon and found the answer to the question of what heterochromia is. Multi-colored eyes do not appear due to possession or other influence of otherworldly forces. Such an unusual coloration arises from too high or negligible content in the iris of the pigment melanin, which is responsible for a certain shade of the eyes in humans.

The color of the iris is formed by only 3 pigments: yellow, blue and brown. Depending on the concentration of each of them in it, a person has a specific eye color. Each person suffering from heterochromia has a unique form, but scientists divide the anomaly into several large groups, each of which will be called in its own way. So:

1. Complete heterochromia - those same multi-colored eyes. The most common combinations are with blue eyes.
2. Sector, which is also called partial heterochromia of the eyes, with this deviation for the iris, the color is characteristic in several contrasting shades.
3. Central - a deviation in which several pronounced rings can be distinguished on the iris, each of them differs in color from the others.

Heterochromia is not a disease, but an anomaly of the eyes, so you should not be afraid of it. It does not pose any danger: it does not affect vision, does not distort the color and shape of surrounding objects.

Rarely, the presence of this abnormality can be a sign of other eye problems.

Why does heterochromia occur?

It is impossible to unequivocally answer why some people have different colored eyes. Scientists agree that such an anomaly is nothing more than a game of nature. However, there are 3 main reasons for its occurrence. Among them:

1. Simple heterochromia, or congenital, when a person has different eyes from the moment of birth, while there are no disturbances in the functioning of this organ. Such an anomaly in its pure form is rare.
2. Complicated heterochromia often develops against the background of Fuchs syndrome. With such a disease, one eye is affected in people, while heterochromia may be mild or absent altogether.
3. Acquired heterochromia, when a change in the color of the iris is caused by trauma, an inflammatory process, a tumor, improper use of eye medications, and various mechanical damage. For example, this happens when a microscopic particle of copper or iron gets into the eye. In the first case, there is a high probability of developing chalcosis, in the second - siderosis, while the color of the iris will become greenish, bluish, brownish or rusty.

Diagnosis and treatment of anomalies

Diagnosis of an anomaly occurs by observation, its signs are visible to the naked eye from the moment of manifestation. After detecting different eye colors, the doctor conducts a comprehensive examination using laboratory tests and special techniques aimed at identifying violations in the visual apparatus. Only after that the specialist makes a diagnosis, says the name of the disease, and prescribes treatment.

If a different eye color is the only anomaly that is observed in the patient, and no other abnormalities were found during the examination, drug treatment and surgery are not prescribed. There is simply no need for this, because modern medicine cannot fix this defect. If, during the examination, diseases are detected, the result of which is heterochromia, the doctor will prescribe the necessary treatment.

Thus, if heterochromia is an acquired deviation, then it will be possible to restore the color of the iris, but this may take a decent amount of time. But people with different-colored eyes from birth will never be able to correct their color. As practice shows, most consider this feature to be a flaw in appearance, few want to attract the attention of others. Such people can be advised to correct the shade of the eyes with the help of colored contact lenses. Nowadays, they can be purchased at any optics and even tried on before buying. Properly selected lenses will be completely invisible to others and will help a person with heterochromia get rid of complexes. Before going for contact lenses, it is recommended to consult an ophthalmologist to make sure that there are no contraindications to wearing them.

Heterochromia and human character

Folk wisdom says that congenital heterochromia leaves an imprint on a person's personality.

There are no people without flaws, and representatives with multi-colored eyes are no exception. Their main drawback is selfishness. This explains the extremes inherent in their behavior - they either withdraw into themselves and consider this feature a huge disadvantage, or they emphasize it in every possible way, trying to be in the spotlight. Such people want a special relationship and increased attention to their person. However, this does not prevent them from having a narrow circle of close friends whom they truly love and enjoy spending time with them.

The different color of the eyes of people indicates their touchiness, so you need to be extremely careful with statements addressed to them. Of course, they know how to forgive, but they will remember the offense for a very long time. They also do not know how to speak in hints and do not understand them, they always say everything they think directly, sometimes thereby offending others.

In addition, these are very creative individuals: they love to sing, dance, write poetry and draw. They really appreciate the holidays, visiting guests and receiving them in their home. In general, they are very outstanding and interesting people, so they definitely shouldn’t have complexes because of their appearance. They are very devoted to those they love and will always lend a helping hand if needed.