What are the different colors of a person's eyes? Heterochromia eyes

The different colors of the iris of the eyes are called heterochromia .

This is a very rare occurrence. Statistics show that only 1% of the population of our planet experiences this phenomenon.

The depth of melanin is responsible for color. At birth, its content in the membrane is minimal, and therefore all babies have light eyes. Heterochromia is a rare case in which one of the eyes contains more of a given pigment than the other.

Heterochromia: photo

In animals this feature is much more common. It is quite common in white cats and Siberian Husky dogs.

In today's society, the phenomenon of heterochromia is treated as a “gift of God.” This phenomenon is especially popular among fashion models.

Model Sarah McDaniel

Girls, and sometimes boys, often try to change the color of one of their eyes using different methods. For example:

(subject to following the instructions for their use, this is the best option).
. Changes occur after a couple of months, the color becomes dark. However, the drug is intended exclusively for medical use, and long-term use disrupts the nutrition of the eyeball.
Laser correction (the change occurs only from the brown color of the iris to blue). It is worth noting that the operation is expensive, and it will be impossible to return your natural shade. In addition, intervention of this kind can lead to double vision and photophobia.
Implantation. This method causes enormous damage to health, and is irreversible. Possible glaucoma, blindness, inflammation, cataracts and detachment. On top of that, the implant will cost around 8,000 USD.

ICD-10 code

What is ICD-10? This is the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases.

Heterochromia is classified here as “VII. H57.0. Anomalies of pupillary function", or " Q13.2. Congenital anomalies of the anterior segment of the eyes,” and is considered a pathology. Of course, the phenomenon is unusual, but this does not always mean that there are some deviations.

That is, the ICD does not specifically say that heterochromia is necessarily a condition of diseased eyes, however, it is still worth discussing this with a doctor in order to be completely sure that they are healthy.

Kinds

complete (if you look at it in general - irises of different colors, however, if you look at them individually, they are correct, without aberrations);
partial or sectoral (the iris of one eye is painted in several colors);
central (the shade around the pupil diverges into rings).

Complete heterochromia is more common than partial.

If it occurs as a result of damage to the eyeball, there are such forms as:

simple;
complicated;
metallic (the shell changes in patches, most often of a light green or rusty-green hue).

Causes

Why do people have different eyes? Central ocular heterochromia can be either an unusual feature or a serious problem.

Causes of heterochromia:

Heredity. This is perhaps the most harmless cause of pathology. If at least one of the parents has this feature, there is a 50% chance that it will be passed on to the child.
Weak cervical sympathetic nerve from birth (simple form). Most often accompanied by oculosympathetic Bernard-Horner syndrome. It is also characterized by:

skin of different shades;
the eye slit and/or pupil are narrowed;
the eyeball in the orbit is slightly displaced;
there is no sweating on the affected side.

Fuchs syndrome (complicated form). Namely, inflammation of blood vessels. It is accompanied by blurred vision, degenerative atrophy of the iris, cortical cataracts (the cortex of the lens becomes cloudy), after which vision worsens and eventually disappears completely.
Neurofibromatosis. A disease with characteristic changes that is inherited.
(metallous heterochromia). Foreign objects such as graphite or metal shavings getting into the eye. They penetrate the upper layer of the iris, after which oxidation of the pigment occurs inside it.
Effects of medications that contain the hormone prostaglandin F2a or its analogues.
Various neoplasms, such as:

(a type of skin cancer that very rarely can be localized to the eyes);
hemosiderosis (decomposition of red blood cells, impaired metabolism of iron-containing pigments);
Duane syndrome (type);
juvenile xanthogranuloma (formation of self-resolving histiocytic tumors).

Treatment

If the cause is Fuchs' syndrome, a vitrectomy is performed - removing scars, blood or abnormal tissue from the vitreous of the eye, which is replaced with a balanced salt solution and silicone oil/gases.
If there is metallosis, the foreign body is removed. For inflammation, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs are indicated. It should be noted that even if the irritants are eliminated, the color of the iris may not be restored.
In people with congenital heterochromia, this anomaly will remain in any case. Only medical intervention will help, namely laser correction or implantation. If this is an acquired phenomenon, you can get rid of it over time, however, not in all situations.
If heterochromia began to appear as a result of using drugs with the hormone prostaglandin, the solution to the problem is simple and logical - consult a doctor so that he can help you choose other medications for the eyes.

Video:

In genetics, there are only three pigments that can form the color of the human iris - blue, yellow and brown. Depending on the quantity and proportions of each pigment, a certain eye color is formed. In most cases, both eyes are the same in color and do not differ from each other visually, but it happens that the color of the iris can be different on the right and left sides. People with such an anomaly are the object of a whole host of different folk signs and predictions, but usually such an unusual appearance does not carry any additional manifestations. We invite you to get acquainted with this feature of the human body in more detail.

What are the different eye colors in people called?

The color of the iris is determined by the type of distribution, directly by the presence and concentration of melanin - the pigment. As already mentioned, a specific tone is formed by mixing three main pigments. Different eye colors are considered a very unusual phenomenon, although 10 out of 1000 people have this feature to one degree or another. The scientific name for the phenomenon is heterochromia, which literally means “different color.” This occurs not only in humans, but also in some animals, including cats, dogs and horses.

It is worth noting that the described concept implies not only a different color of the right and left eyes, but also a partial change in pigmentation in one of the eyes. Sometimes there are differences in color, but they are not contrasting, so in some cases heterochromia can only be noticed by carefully looking at the person in good lighting. Statistics say that representatives of the fair sex are more likely than men to have this anomaly.

It is immediately worth noting that the phenomenon itself does not pose any threat to human health and in no way affects its visual abilities. People with heterochromia see the world in the same colors and in the same way as people with the same coloring of the irises of both eyes. Many popular actors also have, which not only does not interfere with them, but emphasizes their uniqueness and even increases recognition.

Types of disagreement

Heterochromia occurs in various forms depending on the degree of its severity and the reasons for its appearance. Thus, the following types of abnormal staining are distinguished:

complete heterochromia. In such a situation, each eye has its own separate color and uniform coloration. The most common case is a combination of blue and brown;
partial or sectoral. This type of coloring implies the presence of several shades on the same eye. So, on the iris there may be spots or entire sectors that differ from the main color of the eyes;
circular is the most rare. With it, the iris has several distinct color rings.

The changes can be either congenital (that is, some people are born with this unique iris color) or pathological, when the changes are associated with disease or injury.

Causes of different colored eyes in humans

The simplest and safest source of abnormal iris coloration is heredity. In this case, we can talk about a simple form that does not entail any systemic or local violations. It is transmitted as a cellular mutation that occurs immediately after fertilization of the egg. It is not at all necessary that the phenomenon will be passed on from generation to generation; it can become rare and unusual even within the same family. However, a congenital anomaly can also be a symptom of a hereditary disease, so in this case it is not worth leaving the child without diagnosis, especially if there are any additional symptoms.

However, the anomaly can occur not only from birth, it can be acquired during life under the influence of certain factors. Thus, a complicated form of heterochromia implies that it is an element of the symptom complex of the disease and is accompanied by other symptoms. Depending on the specific disease, this may include blurred vision, white spots in the field of vision, or degenerative changes in the iris of the eye.

Traumatic damage to the organ, previous ophthalmological diseases, inflammatory processes, tumor formations - all this can also cause heterochromia in humans. Undoubtedly, a change in the color of the iris is one of the most favorable outcomes of the events described, since many of them can not only lead to loss of vision, but also cause death. It is worth noting that changes can also be a consequence of the use of eye drops to reduce pressure inside the eye from glaucoma - they stimulate the synthesis of melanin and can cause a change in color.

What diseases can cause heterochromia of the eye shell?

“Different eyes” can be caused by both congenital and acquired diseases. Possible pathologies include:

Horner's syndrome is a consequence of damage to the sympathetic nervous system. In addition to changes in the color of the iris (most often the “owners” of the symptom are child patients), there is drooping of the eyelids, narrowing of the pupil, disruption of its normal reaction to light exposure, and sunken eyes;
Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a hereditary disease that significantly increases a person’s risk of developing dangerous neoplasms. Typical symptoms include pigment spots on the skin, scoliosis, learning difficulties and so-called Lisch nodules in the iris of the eye. In this case, what visually looks like partial heterochromia is actually pigmented nodular neoplasms of a benign type;
pigment dispersion - a problem associated with loss of pigmentation on the back surface of the iris, which is reflected on the front surface;
Waardenburg syndrome is a hereditary disease that is accompanied by displacement of the inner corner of the eye, hearing loss from birth, the presence of a gray strand above the forehead and various types of heterochromia;
Hirschsprung's disease;
piebaldism - a person with this diagnosis has white spots on the body (including the eyes) from birth, completely devoid of pigment;
iron deposits in the tissues of the eye - siderosis;
a tumor that can also be localized in the brain;
melanoma can also in some cases provoke a change in the color of the iris;
Fuchs' iridocyclitis. The phenomenon explains the dependence of inflammation inside the eye and subsequent atrophy of the iris, which leads to “difference of eyes.”

What to do and how to treat heterochromia?

Any situation requires careful study and diagnosis of the causes before taking any measures. Heterochromia is no exception, because it can be provoked by a wide variety of diseases, and in some cases the phenomenon is only a feature of the development of the eye and does not require any intervention at all. Once a diagnosis is made, which is especially easy if additional specific symptoms are present, appropriate treatment is prescribed, which may involve a wide variety of methods: from medication to surgery. It is worth noting that genetic diseases cannot be treated, and, for example, the inflammatory process will require the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics. In people whose discordant eyes were caused by an acquired disease, it is quite possible to restore the natural color of the iris after treatment.

Video: why people have different eye colors

What is the reason for different eyes in people? In what forms does this anomaly occur? Is it hazardous to health? The answers to all these questions can be found in this video, the author of which provides simple and understandable explanations. An entertaining format and brevity will help you focus on the main point.

Photos of people with different eye colors

Have you ever seen in your life what women and men look like with different eye colors? If so, then most likely you remembered it, because such a phenomenon does not occur often and looks very unusual, automatically attracting the eye. Thanks to the photo, you can see how interesting this anomaly is and in what an amazing variety of forms it can manifest itself.

Each person's eye color is a unique characteristic that is determined by the degree of pigmentation of the iris. As a rule, both eyes have the same color, but there is an abnormal pigmentation, which is called “heterochromia of the eyes.”

Such an anomaly can be passed on from generation to generation and only appear over time. Heterochromia is not always a unique look; it can be a symptom of some pathological processes. In general, this is a rather rare anomaly, occurring in only one percent of the world's population. In most cases, one eye is blue and the other is brown.

What is another name for heterochromia in ophthalmology? Experts call different eye colors in people piebaldism. In women, the anomaly is more common, although there are no anatomical or physiological prerequisites for this. So why do people have different eye colors?

Why do people have different eyes?

Piebaldism develops as a result of a lack or, conversely, an excess amount of melanin in the iris of the eye. The more melanin, the darker the eye, and the less, the lighter it is.

One of the harmless causes of piebaldism (as discordance of the eyes is called) is a genetic predisposition

Other reasons can provoke the appearance of an anomaly:

Fuchs syndrome. The disease is characterized by inflammation of the blood vessels in the eyes. The process causes blurred vision and deterioration of vision, up to complete loss;
injury. Usually light eyes darken, acquiring a brown or green tint;
neurofibromatosis;
glaucoma;
penetration of a foreign body;
oncological processes: melanoma, neuroblastoma;
hemorrhage;
iris atrophy;
siderosis – iron deposition occurs in the eyes;
a side effect of certain medications, namely antiglaucoma medications.

This is an acquired ophthalmological disorder, which is characterized by unilateral lesions. Fuchs syndrome is characterized by a slow progression of the inflammatory process in the iris. Characterized by alternating periods of remission and relapse. Fuchs syndrome is more common in older people.

The disease progresses slowly and is difficult to detect for a long time. Usually the anomaly is discovered by chance, perceiving it as a congenital defect. An important diagnostic symptom is the slow deterioration of vision in the affected eye and the appearance of floaters. The lens becomes cloudy over time, and due to thinning, the iris becomes lighter. It is even possible to develop secondary glaucoma. The affected eye becomes darker than the healthy one.

Fuchs syndrome causes noticeable nodules to appear on the iris. The appearance of spots may indicate the development of atrophic changes in the posterior pigment layer. As the pathological process progresses, the iris becomes faded and dull.

Fuchs syndrome threatens the development of glaucoma and cataracts

Fuchs syndrome does not cause pain, redness or swelling, which is why it goes undetected for a long time. The pathological process can be the result of a variety of reasons:

inflammation inside the eyeball;
neurodystrophy of the blood vessels of the eye;
ocular toxoplasmosis.

Heterochromia can be corrected with colored lenses, and visual acuity can be corrected with glasses. Conservative therapy includes the use of nootropic, angioprotective, vasodilator agents and vitamin complexes. Treatment should be aimed at activating trophic processes in the iris of the eye. Topical corticosteroids may also be prescribed. In advanced stages, surgery is used.

Prolonged exposure to iron-containing objects in the eye can lead to the deposition of organic and inorganic salts. The iron-containing fragment slowly dissolves and permeates the tissues of the eye. The first symptoms of sideriosis can be detected several months after the fragment is implanted. Treatment consists of removing the foreign body.

Multi-colored eyes may be the result of siderosis

Neurofibromatosis

Signs of the pathological process appear in the first years of a child’s life. Boys get sick much more often than girls. Neurofibromatosis may be accompanied by a deterioration in intelligence and the appearance of epileptic seizures. Patients develop café-au-lait spots on the skin.

Ocular manifestations occur in twenty percent of cases and are sometimes the only manifestations of the pathological process. Symptoms largely depend on the location, size and number of neurofibromatous nodes. In the conjunctiva of the eyelids they look like strands; in the mucous membrane of the eyeball, neurofibromas look like individual beads.

Varieties

Depending on the causative factors, the anomaly in humans is of two types: acquired and congenital. If heterochromia is associated with damage to the iris, then it is divided into simple and complicated. Depending on the degree of coloration of the iris:

complete when one eye is blue and the other is brown. In this case, the iris is colored evenly;
sectoral or partial. In this case, the iris has several shades. The iris of one eye combines areas painted in different colors;
central heterochromia. This means that the iris has several full-fledged color rings. This is the most common form, in which pigmentation is disrupted in the area around the pupil.

People with different eye colors continue to see and perceive colors absolutely normally.

Diagnosis and treatment of people with different eyes

Regardless of the patient’s assumptions regarding the nature of heterochromia, the first stage of the treatment process is to contact a certified ophthalmologist. The anomaly may be a symptom of serious pathological processes that require early diagnosis and timely treatment. To identify pathological changes in the tissues of the eye, laboratory and specialized examinations are carried out.

If the ophthalmologist finds that the patient has eyes of different colors, but vision does not deteriorate and there are no other clinical symptoms, then treatment may not be prescribed at all.

If the eyes have become different colors due to ophthalmic diseases or disruption of the integrity of the iris, then treatment includes the use of steroid drugs. In some cases, removal of the vitreous will be necessary. Anti-inflammatory, miotic and antibacterial drugs can be prescribed as auxiliary therapy.

Have you met people with different eye colors? Sometimes this may be a hereditary characteristic of the patient, but in some cases this anomaly is associated with serious diseases that require timely intervention by specialists. Do not self-medicate, contact a specialist and follow his recommendations.

It is not so common to see people with different eye colors on the street; only one 1% of the world's inhabitants have such a phenomenal detail in their appearance. In ancient times, those with such a feature as a multi-colored iris were treated with great caution, believing that such an anomaly was fraught with something magical. Now people with different-colored eyes know that this condition is called heterochromia, and it is provoked by completely understandable reasons.

Why are the eyes different?

Scientists have studied and proven that different eyes in humans is a pathological phenomenon called heterochromia. The causes of the occurrence depend on the excess or deficiency of the melanin pigment in the iris, which determines the color of the organ of vision.

A common reason for such a phenomenal phenomenon in human appearance is considered to be heredity. Heterochromia can also be caused by acquired factors, including:
Eye inflammation. Inflammatory process in the iris. The cause may be such serious pathologies as tuberculosis, oncology and complicated forms of influenza.
Glaucoma. Therapy for such a disease requires treatment with an extensive list of medications. A large number of medications can affect the production of melanin, and this may cause discoloration.
Foreign body. In case of mechanical injury, when a foreign object is in the eye apparatus for a long time, the color of the iris may change. This process can be prevented by timely removal of the foreign body and proper drug treatment.
Ocular hemorrhage. Occurs most often due to high eye pressure. Due to the accumulation of blood in the iris, the color changes.

What types are there?

Most often you can find owners of complete heterochromia, which is striking.

The form of the disease is characterized by two-colored eyes; they have completely different colors. This type of disease is considered the most common, and most often people are born with a genetic pathology. It is almost impossible to acquire this form of heterochromia. It is an absolute contrast when two eyes are different colors, for example, blue and brown, green and black.

Partial

It is also called sector. This species is characterized by not one, but two colors of the same iris. This means that the eye has two or three colors: it can be brown, gray and blue, blue with white splashes. Often this type of heterochromia occurs as a result of mechanical trauma and is a complication of a previous illness.

Central

Another name for heterochromia is circular. With this form, the iris of the shell consists of several circles and they clearly differ in color. According to the results of numerous studies, it was found that this type of pathology is more common in women, and less common in the stronger half of humanity.

If a child has different eyes at birth, this is a hereditary disease, and there is no reason to panic. If the iris has changed color as a result of a serious illness or mechanical injury, the patient needs to urgently consult a doctor.

There is something magical in the look of a person with different eye colors. What is hidden in this gaze? What passions rage in the depths of multi-colored eyes?

It is not so easy to meet people with eyes of different colors. Out of 1000 people, only 11 are endowed with this unusual look. Since ancient times, people with different colored eyes have been treated with extreme caution, considering them witches, sorcerers, or even children of the devil. How many persecutions and curses the unfortunate people had to endure, because all the misfortunes that happened nearby were blamed on them. If there was a fire or epidemic somewhere, the person with the multi-colored eyes was always to blame. Mothers who gave birth to children with “oddly-eyed eyes” also suffered a lot; they were immediately credited with having a love affair with the devil. To avoid the evil eye or other troubles from a person with an unusual look, superstitious people read special conspiracies.

Fortunately, today being a multi-eyed person is not as problematic as it used to be. A person with unusual eyes is no longer looked at with fear, but with interest. Most owners of such eyes have a complex because of this feature, but there are also those who are proud of their difference from others and even flaunt it.

Scientists have long studied the phenomenon of different-colored eyes and gave it a scientific name - heterochromia. There is nothing mystical about eyes of different colors, they say, it all depends on the excess or deficiency of the melanin pigment in the iris, which is responsible for eye color. Heterochromia comes in several types: complete, partial (sector) and central. With complete heterochromia, a person has eyes of different colors, one of which is most often blue. Partial heterochromia is indicated by the presence in the iris of one of the eyes of two colors, one of which is the main one. With central heterochromia, several colors are observed in the eye color, which are located in rings around the pupil. No one knows for sure why the eyes are different colors; most likely, it’s just a trick of nature. Medicine cannot surgically correct this congenital defect in the eyes. In a situation where a person with heterochromia feels uncomfortable in society, he is offered to use contact lenses, with which he can give his eyes the desired color. People with different eye colors are not colorblind, do not have any diseases, and have the same visual acuity as everyone else. An exception is when partial heterochromia indicates congenital or hereditary diseases, such as Waardenburg syndrome or Hirschsprung disease. Glaucoma or a tumor can also cause partial or complete color mutation. Changes in iris color can occur due to serious eye injury. A striking example of this is the story of the famous musician David Bowie. As a 14-year-old, he was punched in the eye and has since developed heterochromia. However, the musician did not worry at all about this; his multi-colored eyes did not prevent him from winning the hearts of millions of women around the world and being known as an unimaginable ladies' man. David Bowie's blue-green gaze still fascinates fans no less than his songs.

Whether heterochromia became the reason for Bowie’s popularity among the fair half of humanity is unknown, but they say that people with different eye colors have a special magical power and can attract members of the opposite sex. If that's the case, then poor Ashton Kutcher. He had already twice managed to fall into the pool of multi-colored eyes. After all, both Kutcher’s ex-wife Demi Moore and his current lover Mila Kunis have one eye green and the other brown. By the way, actress Kate Bosworth, who is at the peak of her popularity today, also attracts fans from movie screens and the covers of glossy magazines with her mesmerizing look in blue and brown colors. Other celebrities with heterochromia include Jane Seymour, Alice Eve, Josh Henderson and Dan Aykroyd. You just need to look carefully at the photos of the actors to make sure they have this feature.

Not only real people, but also literary heroes are endowed with heterochromia. Bulgakov's Woland, the legendary Tristan and Lieutenant Myshlaevsky from the White Guard had an unusual look. In modern cartoons you can also find characters with different-colored eyes.

They say that under no circumstances should you become an enemy of a person with heterochromia. Such a person is endowed with some unknown power that protects him from evil wishes and curses. Everything bad that is addressed to the owner of different-colored eyes boomerangs back to the offender. Moreover, the odd-eyed man himself knows nothing about this. He simply lives his life and does not even suspect that all his enemies and envious people receive in full everything that they wished for him. Such an unknown force protects these unique people.

A lot has been written and said about what different-colored eyes mean. Psychologists agree that people with different eyes are very contradictory. On the one hand, they are characterized by selfishness, stubbornness and capriciousness. Living next to such a person is very difficult; you need to look for a special approach to him, choose words when communicating with him. People with different eyes love loneliness, they have few friends, they never talk about their problems, preferring to experience everything within themselves. On the other hand, despite the complexities of character, people with heterochromia are distinguished by extraordinary generosity, they are hardy, patient and honest. In the life of the “oddly-eyed”, everything goes according to plan, they don’t grab stars from the sky and appreciate what they have. As for harmful habits, women with different-colored eyes are more prone to them than men.

Preconceptions about eye color are just human speculation. Each has its own shortcomings: one has a long nose, the second has crooked legs, and the third has eyes of different colors. Although the latter can be an advantage, depending on who you are.