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People with different color and size of eyes: disease or norm

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.11.2021
 
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Different in color eyes, this phenomenon is called heterochromia. This does not happen often, so many of us surprising people with different colors and sizes of eyes. Iris is able to change its shade throughout life, but in the vast majority of cases, the phenomenon is innate.

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

Someone believes that it is good luck to meet a man with different eyes, and some, on the contrary, avoid such people. So why does this happen, and what does that mean?

What does it mean?

Heterochromia can not be classified as a disease, or any mystical signs. According to experts, there is no "magic" for the owners of different eyes. The color of the iris reflects the content of the melanin pigment in it, which explains the color.

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

People with heterochromy, of course, stand out from the general flow and attract increased attention. To them, few people are indifferent: basically, this phenomenon is either admired or afraid of it.

Different eyes can take place not only in humans, but also in many animals. Owners of different eyes are often cats - and the people have the opinion that "disagreements" pets attract luck and happiness to the house.

What do they say about a person with different eyes?

Certainly, different eyes are a kind of anomaly. But this kind of phenomenon does not in any way mean that a person is inferior or unequivocally sick. Yes, hidden pathology is possible - but not in all cases. Among the rare hereditary diseases, which are accompanied by the appearance of different in color eyes, can be called the little-known syndrome of Waardenburg. The syndrome is characterized by the appearance of other symptoms:

  • hearing loss of varying severity;
  • Strand of gray hair over the frontal zone.

Another possible pathology is neurofibromatosis, in which the function of several organs and systems in the body is disrupted. Simultaneously with different eyes in color, this patient can observe spots on the skin of a light coffee-colored shade, neurofibromas and so-called nodules of Lish.

To make sure that different eyes - this is not a disease, you need to visit a doctor. A medical examination is advisable to take place annually in order to avoid possible complications.

Beliefs

Since ancient times people with different eye colors have been openly avoided: according to legends, 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 the point of view that people who lived many centuries ago adhered to.

It is no secret that in many countries the "disagreements" of the owners were considered to be devilish. It's not for nothing that in pictures written in the old days, Satan was always depicted with different eyes: one is bluish, and the other is black.

If a child with a similarity was born in the family, then his mother was immediately accused of diabolical communication - that is, ranked among the witches.

To all other things, it was customary to assume that a person with different eyes can jinx it. Therefore, they tried to stay away from him, and during the conversation they avoided direct glance and hurried to leave. Moreover, if there was a fire in the district or a livestock was killed, it was the inhabitant, suspected in connection with the devil, who was accused of a different shade of eyes, who was accused of all the troubles.

Fortunately, at present people have practically got rid of superstitions. On the contrary, many consider the presence of different eyes as a sign of luck and luck. To meet such a man on the street today is a good sign.

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Statistics

Different eyes - this is a relatively rare phenomenon, which is observed in about 0.8% of the world's population, mainly in women.

Heterochromia is mostly congenital in most cases.

In the world of animals, the color of the eyes is much more diverse than that of humans. You can observe such a picture in cats, dogs, horses, cows.

Causes of different eyes color

If a person was born with different eyes, sometimes it can become a sign of individual pathologies. For example, this symptom is accompanied by:

  • syndrome of pigment dispersion - the so-called pigmentary glaucoma, at which the pigment from the pigment epithelium is washed away;
  • vitiligo - a skin disease in which pigmentation is lost on the background of melanin destruction;
  • Wahardenburg syndrome is a hereditary disease that is transmitted by an irregular autosomal dominant way;
  • eye melanosis - congenital anomaly of sclera development;
  • hypoplasia of the iris, or its incomplete development;
  • Bloch-Siemens syndrome (Sulzberger) - pigment incontinence, pigmentary dermatosis.

If the shade of the iris has changed already at an older age, then this phenomenon may indicate the development of ophthalmic inflammatory processes, tumors, hemosiderosis, etc.

Often the shade of the iris changes due to injuries or even after the administration of certain eye preparations.

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

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Why do people have different eyes?

The color shade of the eyes is determined by the property 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 during 1-3 months after the appearance of the baby, the eye color that a person will have "in life" is fixed only to 1-2 years. If the pigmentary substance in the iris is small, then the shade of the eyes will be light, and if the melanin is much darker. In the event that different amounts of pigment are concentrated in different parts of the iris, or it is unevenly distributed, then heterochromy can develop - a state where people have different eyes.

Pathogenesis

Depending on the degree and type of pigmentation, irises distinguish several varieties of this condition:

  • Complete heterochromia (both eyes have different shades).
  • Partial heterochromia (one eye has several color shades at the same time).
  • Central heterochromia (the iris has a number of full color rings).

Most often, you can observe the first variety - a complete heterochromy, for example, if the color of one and the other eye is cardinally different.

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

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

There are cases when people have changed the color of one of the eyes after a 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 inflammation in the eyeball, the iris changes in color. Most often in a similar situation, the iris becomes rusty-brownish, more rarely - greenish-blue.

Different size of human eyes

Eye pathologies often have a rich symptomatology. For example, such diseases are characterized by redness of the conjunctiva, a burning sensation, the appearance of secretions. Less often you can notice another symptom: the different size of the eyes in a person. With prolonged inflammatory process, the location of one eye may seem higher.

In young children, this phenomenon can be associated with the underdevelopment of muscles and nerve fibers in the cervical region, which affects the function of the muscles of the face. Visually, this can result in a change in eye size.

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

Another possible reason for the fact that one eye becomes smaller is the 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 feature, which has nothing to do with the pathological condition. If the size of the eye has changed already during a lifetime, then the doctor's consultation should be mandatory.

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The nature of people with different eye color

Some psychologists are inclined to believe that in people with eyes of different colors, there are pronounced contradictions between their internal state and external manifestations. In simple terms, these people are not what they want to seem. Perhaps from the outside they look selfish, withdrawn, or vice versa - shocking and even a little crazy. In most cases, all these are only external manifestations. In fact, such people often have their hobbies, they like to do household chores, they are patient and patient.

It is also considered that "disagreements" people are very sensitive and stubborn. Perhaps this is so. However, do not forget that we are all different, with their own characteristics and characters. Therefore, you can not draw parallels: a person has different eyes - then he is not like everyone else. Each person is different, regardless of the shade of his eyes.

Consequences and complications

For any reason of different eye colors, it is advisable to consult periodically with the eye doctor - ophthalmologist, or ophthalmologist. Most owners of different eyes have no problem as such - congenital heterochromia is often absolutely harmless. But there are exceptions to the rules. Especially it concerns those patients, whose eyes color began to differ already at an older age.

If the eyes have become different in the process of life, then it is necessary to see a doctor. Pathological disorders that could lead to the appearance of such a feature, it is desirable to detect as early as possible in order to prevent the development of subsequent complications. Among the most common problems occur:

Of course, you can not panic in any case, but you should not ignore the problem either. Observation of a medical specialist is certainly superfluous.

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Diagnosis of different eyes

Diagnosis is usually not difficult if the heterochromia is hereditary. In the case where a different eye color is the only symptom, further diagnostics and treatment are not prescribed.

When a doctor suspects a patient's pathology, he may resort to additional research.

A consultation of highly specialized doctors is appointed: in addition to the ophthalmologist, the patient can be examined by a dermatologist, neurologist, oncologist, geneticist, neurosurgeon, orthopedist.

The choice of further diagnostic methods depends on which disease is suspected. It is possible to use such types of research:

  • ophthalmoscopy - examination of the fundus;
  • Ultrasound of the eyeball - a study of the structure of the eye and nearby tissues, such as the lens, retina, ocular musculature, retrobulbar fiber, etc .;
  • pachymetry - measuring the thickness of the cornea, which is often performed simultaneously with biomicroscopy;
  • perimetry - a method for assessing the visual field to determine its borderline capabilities and shortcomings;
  • gonioscopy - examination of the anterior chamber of the eye, which is located between the iris and the cornea;
  • angiography of the retina - examination of the fundus and the smallest vessels of the retina;
  • electrooculography - determination of the activity of the eyeball;
  • refractometry - diagnostics of optical abilities of the eye.

To date, there are a huge number of ophthalmological centers, where any patient can undergo a complete eye examination. But it is better to apply only to specialized clinics in which there is both the required diagnostic equipment and qualified specialists who can intelligently explain and interpret the results of the research.

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Differential diagnostics

To change the color shade of the iris, some pathological conditions with which differential diagnosis should be carried out can lead.

The change in the color of the iris can be related to:

Heterochromia may accompany:

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

trusted-source[10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15]

Who to contact?

Treatment of different eyes color

Will the doctor prescribe a different eye color treatment? It depends, in particular, on whether there are other pathological symptoms, whether there is a development of the disease, etc. If the shade of one eye has simply changed, then it is inadvisable to conduct the treatment. Of course, the doctor will carry out all the necessary diagnostic measures: if everything is in order, then the need for treatment disappears.

However, sometimes the need for therapy is still present:

  • Operative treatment is prescribed only in extreme situations - for example, with cataracts or Fuchs syndrome.
  • External treatment with the use of steroid hormones is appropriate in the further development of the painful process.
  • Operation can be necessary and at trauma of an eye: in order to extract a foreign body.

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

Forecast

Different eyes color, as a rule, is a stable condition that remains with a person for life. When a foreign object hits - siderose or chalcosis, the color shade can return to its previous state, provided all particles of the foreign body are removed.

In most cases, people with different color and size of the eyes remain so for life: the restoration of pigmentation of the iris is considered unlikely.

Famous people with different eye color

Of particular interest to many residents are the external characteristics of famous people, which include actors, artists, athletes, politicians. On the Internet, you can find a relatively large number of famous personalities who differ in any of the variants of heterochromia.

For example, a full or partial version of "different eyes" is noted in such famous people:

  • Mila Kunis: she is brown-eyed on the left side, and blue-eyed on the right;
  • Jane Seymour: the eye on the right side is greenish-brown, and on the left side - green;
  • Keith Boswoot: on the left - a blue eye, and on the right - a bluish-brown;
  • Kiefer Sutherland has sectoral heterochromy: a mixture of blue and gray;
  • David Bowie has posttraumatic heterochromia.

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

As an example, you can also bring literary characters who possess different eyes:

  • Woland - one of the main characters of the cult work of Mikhail Bulgakov "Master and Margarita";
  • Vasily Semenov is a tank commander from Janusz Pshimanovsky's book "Four Tankmen and a Dog".

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What does a person with different eyes dream about?

The eyes of many people are associated with something metaphysical, symbolic and even magical. Therefore, seeing them in a dream, subconsciously there is an illusion of some sign, an instruction that requires decoding.

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

What can we say about a dream in which a person with a different color or size of eyes appears? As a rule, this indicates the presence in life of a connection with a deceiver and a two-faced person. Such a deceiver may be a companion, business partner or for life, a close relative.

Often such dreams are dreamed of persons with a vulnerable nervous system who are in a depressed, depressed state, or feel rejected and abandoned.

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