Courtesy of Felix Leupold on Flickr
During my 20+ years of providing clinical care, my patients have asked me a variety of questions regarding their eyes. One of the inquiries that has come up recently is, “I heard that having different eye colors can affect your vision…is that true?”
Well, there certainly has been much written about, debated over, and researched on this very topic. We know that the iris is what gives a person their eye color. There are numerous eye colors and variations thereof. They span from the lightest of blue, to green, to a mixture of hazel, to the darkest of brown, and even violet like that of the late Elizabeth Taylor. Most of us would agree that some of us are more attracted to one eye color over another, so maybe having a particular eye color confers some advantages.
From a vision clarity standpoint, people with varying shades of blue eyes to brown eyes can see equally well. With that said, there are some plusses and minuses in possessing a particular eye color. What is known from an “evidence based” perspective is that individuals with light eyes (blue) tend to be more light sensitive. I often impart this analogy to my patients. If we think of the colored iris as a window covering, more light will be allowed to come through a window to light up a room with a light blue curtain as compared to an opaque brown one. So much the same occurs with a light colored iris. They just have less pigment to block out or reflect back the light. In fact, this may be one of the reasons why an individual with light eyes may be more at risk for developing macular degeneration. Recommendation have been made for patients with light eyes to wear UV protective eyewear, UV coated contact lenses, or even opaque colored contact lenses.
It is also a little known fact that dark eye colors (brown) can withstand high glare situations better than light eyes. Dark eyes have the ability to absorb more light and allow less light to get reflect. My patients with dark eyes are not as bothered by driving at night in the midst of annoying glare from headlights of other cars.
So to circle back to the question, “I heard that having different eye colors can affect your vision…is that true?”
It can be answered with a “YES,” but honestly, the difference is so ever subtle.
~ Judy Tong OD, FAAO
California Optometric Association
http://eyehelp.org
http://www.coavision.org
COA Vision 