{"id":20029,"date":"2021-11-28T08:39:59","date_gmt":"2021-11-28T08:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=20029"},"modified":"2021-11-30T14:02:31","modified_gmt":"2021-11-30T14:02:31","slug":"heterochromia-why-are-my-eyes-different-colors","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/heterochromia-why-are-my-eyes-different-colors\/","title":{"rendered":"Heterochromia: Why Are My Eyes Different Colors?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>What do actors Mila Kunis and Kate Bosworth have in common, other than being celebrities? They both have heterochromia.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Perhaps the most famous celebrity with heterochromia, actress Kate Bosworth has one blue eye, and one eye that is partially hazel.<\/p>\n<p><b>Heterochromia occurs when the eyes have different colors, this condition affects less than 1% of the population.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is heterochromia?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Heterochromia is a condition that affects the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/how-does-the-eye-work\/ocular-anatomy-the-front-of-the-eye\/\">iris<\/a> of the eye, the pigmented part of the eye that surrounds the pupil.<\/p>\n<p>This rare condition can be characterized by two different colored eyes, one eye appearing darker than the other, or with part of the iris appearing different than the rest.<\/p>\n<p><b>All cases of heterochromia should be examined by an eye doctor because although most cases are harmless, in rare cases, heterochromia can signal an underlying condition.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><b>Types of heterochromia<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Heterochromia can present in three different ways:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Complete heterochromia<\/b> (heterochromia iridis) is when one iris is a different color than the other.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Segmental (partial) heterochromia <\/b>(heterochromia iridum) is when the iris contains different colors that present in a wedge pattern. This can occur in one or both eyes and may look different in each eye, with one iris containing a larger \u201cwedge\u201d of the secondary color than the other.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Central heterochromia<\/b> is when the outer ring of the iris is a different color from the rest of the iris. It is considered the most uncommon, and usually occurs in both eyes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>SEE RELATED: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/10-causes-of-eye-pain\/\">10 Causes of Eye Pain<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>Contact an eye doctor near you<\/b> <\/a><strong>if you notice a color difference between you or your child\u2019s eyes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2><b>What causes heterochromia?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Most cases of heterochromia are congenital, but in rare cases, it can also be acquired.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Congenital heterochromia<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Congenital heterochromia is typically caused by a genetic mutation unrelated to any underlying condition, and only affecting the amount of pigment cells within each iris<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>In rare cases, congenital heterochromia can occur from a medical condition, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Benign heterochromia<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Hirschsprung disease<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Von Recklinghausen disease<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Bourneville disease<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Piebaldism<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Bloch-Sulzberger syndrome<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Waardenburg syndrome<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Sturge-Weber syndrome<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Parry-Romberg syndrome<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Horner\u2019s syndrome<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Acquired heterochromia<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Acquired heterochromia occurs when an outside factor has caused the color of the eye to change.<\/p>\n<p>This is less common than the genetic form, but can result from:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-exams\/eye-emergencies\/6-most-frequent-eye-injuries\/\">Eye injury<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/glaucoma-guide\/\">Glaucoma<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Neuroblastoma<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/eye-conditions\/ocular-oncology\/\">Eye cancer<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Certain medicines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>How is heterochromia diagnosed?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will try to determine the underlying causes of why one eye could be different to the other. Be sure to inform your eye doctor if you or your child is showing any other symptoms or if there have been any recent changes to the vision or eye comfort.<\/p>\n<p>Your eye doctor may order blood tests and\/or genetic tests to rule out an underlying condition.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Can heterochromia be treated?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Heterochromia can be treated if there is an underlying condition or disease. By treating the underlying cause, the heterochromia may disappear on its own.<\/p>\n<p><b>LEARN MORE:<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/\"> Guide to Eye Health<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor near you<\/b><\/a><strong> if you are concerned about the color of your or your child\u2019s eyes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><i>Heterochromia is a condition that affects the iris of the eye, the pigmented part of the eye that surrounds the pupil.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>All cases of heterochromia should be examined by an eye doctor because although most are harmless, in rare cases, heterochromia can signal an underlying condition<\/i><b>.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What do actors Mila Kunis and Kate Bosworth have in common, other than being celebrities? They both have heterochromia.\u00a0 Perhaps the most famous celebrity with<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1206,"featured_media":20046,"parent":12328,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20029","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Heterochromia: Why Are My Eyes Different Colors? - Optometrists.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/heterochromia-why-are-my-eyes-different-colors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Heterochromia: Why Are My Eyes Different Colors? - Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What do actors Mila Kunis and Kate Bosworth have in common, other than being celebrities? 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