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 affect the eyes, and can also occur in cats' dogs.
The color difference can be between the two eyes, when it is called complete heterochromia, in which case each eye has a different color from the other, or the difference can be in only one eye, when it is called sectoral heterochromia, in that a single eye has 2 colors, it can also be born or changed 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 go to the doctor to check 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 eye color, and the same rule applies to skin color.
In addition to genetic inheritance, the difference in the eyes can also be caused by diseases such as Nevus of Ota, neurofibromatosis, Horner Syndrome and Wagenburg 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 a difference in the color of the eyes appears since 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 alteration occurs during childhood, adolescence or adulthood, it is probably a sign that there is a health problem in the body, and it is important to see the doctor to identify what is changing the color of an eye, especially when it is accompanied by symptoms such as pain and redness in the eyes.
See other causes of eye problems at:
