Having an eye of each color is a rare feature called heterochromia, which can happen due to genetic inheritance or due to diseases and injuries that reach the eyes, and may also occur in cats dogs.
The color difference can be between the two eyes, when it is called complete heterochromia, and in this case each eye has a different color from the other, or the difference can be in only one eye, when it is called sector heterochromia, in that a single eye has 2 colors, also being able to be of birth or altered due to a disease.
When a person is born with one eye of each color, this does not impair vision or eye health, but it is always important to see the doctor to see if there are any diseases or genetic syndrome causing the color change.
Causes
Heterochromia occurs mainly due to a genetic inheritance that causes differences in the amount of melanin in each eye, which is the same pigment that gives color to the skin. Thus, the more melanin, the darker the color of the eyes, and the same rule applies to the color of the skin.
In addition to the genetic inheritance, the difference in the eyes can also be caused by diseases such as Nevo de Ota, neurofibromatosis, Horner's Syndrome and Wabenburg Syndrome, which are diseases that can also affect other regions of the body and cause complications such as glaucoma and tumors in the eyes . See more about neurofibromatosis.
Other factors that can cause acquired heterochromia are glaucoma, diabetes, inflammation and bleeding in the iris, strokes or foreign bodies in the eye.
When to go to the doctor
If difference in eye color arises from birth, it is probably a genetic inheritance that does not affect the health of the baby's eyes but it is important to go to the doctor to confirm the absence of other diseases or genetic syndromes that can cause this characteristic.
However, if the change arises during childhood, adolescence or adulthood, it is probably a sign that there is a health problem in the body, and it is important to seek the doctor to identify what is changing the color of one's eyes, especially when it is accompanied by symptoms such as pain and redness in the eyes.
See other causes of eye problems at:
- Causes and Treatment of Eye Pain
- Causes and Treatments for Redness in the Eyes
