Heterochromia, or irides of various colors in the eye – causes, treatment. A rare defect of the iris

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Probably many of us know people suffering from heterochromia, although the word “suffering” is not appropriate here. Most people with dual-colored eyes do not experience any discomfort from this. Usually, the two-color iris, or heterochromia, is a congenital defect that does not cause any negative health consequences. On the contrary, some people treat this disadvantage as an original beauty feature.

It’s easy. It is enough to look at someone’s eyes to notice that the irises differ in color or only in shade.

Stands out:

  1. heterochromia iridis (one iris has two colors, e.g.),
  2. heterochromia iridium (each iris has a different color, e.g. one eye is blue, the other is hazel).

This disadvantage is more difficult to spot when the shade is changed.

Two-color eyes are calculated to have 1 percent. population. Most often it is a genetic defect. The baby comes into the world with her. This is not immediately apparent as newborns usually have dark blue eyes.

It is only around the age of 3 that the amount of melanin (dye) is established, which gives the final color of the iris. Sometimes, however, in the first weeks of a baby’s life, heterochromia of the eyes may be visible.

Often this defect occurs spontaneously, less often it is a symptom of syndromes such as:

  1. Waardenburg syndrome (concomitant defects: hearing loss, discoloration on the skin, light strand of hair),
  2. piebaldism (spots on the skin, light strand of hair),
  3. neurofibromatosis (tumors, bone changes, spots on the skin),
  4. Dye incontinence.

Rarely, it is the result of an injury to the fetus in the mother’s womb or a previous illness.

Later in life, heterochromia appears as a result of serious diseases, such as eye cancer (eye melanoma, neuroblastoma), glaucoma, or an eye injury.

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When you notice different colored irises, consult your doctor. The point is to diagnose whether heterochromia is associated with any disease.

Only diagnosed diseases are treated, while heterochromia remains unchanged. There is no cure for this. The defect itself does not affect the quality of vision, and eyesight does not deteriorate with age for this reason.

If the owner of two-colored irises is disturbed by this “innovation”, then he or she can wear solid-colored contact lenses. Famous people with two-colored eyes include, for example, popular actors: Olivia Wilde (plays in the series “Dr. House”), Benedict Cumberbatch (known as the impersonator of the title role from the series “Holmes”), Kate Botsworth (including the film “Blue Wave” ») Or Jane Seymour (the title” Doctor Quinn “).

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