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It has been theorized that a black ring - or a dark ring - around the
iris is a symptom of real vampirism. So far, the site where this originates
from states that it is simply a DARK ring - thus not necessarily black.
In the interest of being sure that my readers are not ignoring possible
medical ailments, this article will cover different types of rings and
other discolorations of the eyes, and what - medically speaking - health
conditions may possibly be represented by each of them.
Vampirism is NOT necessarily the reason - and it's in your best interest
to rule out anything medical first.
(Note that this is NOT a complete list - only a summary
of what was reasonably quick to find.)
If you have some sort of ring around the eye - or any other pigmentation
or shape change in the eyes (and especially if you have vision changes,
pain or discomfort of any sort!) - please DO have your eyes checked out
by an eye care professional (not just the shopping center optometrists
who do your glasses or contacts) AND have blood work done by your primary
care doctor in order to be sure there's no underlying medical cause that
needs to be addressed!
Ignoring your health in favor of something you find more interesting
is NEVER a good idea.
Just because these illustrative pictures have a specific eye color, does
NOT mean any condition is limited to those with that eye color - these
medical ailments can happen to anyone with any eye color, and there are
many genetic or environmental factors that can affect eye color as well.
GLOSSARY
Arcus:
Latin word meaning "arc".
Bowman's Membrane / Bowman's Layer:
Smooth layer in the eye located in between corneal layers. It is composed
of collagen and helps the cornea maintain it's shape.
Cornea:
The transparent, dome shaped 'window' covering the front of the eye
Conjunctiva:
Clear mucous membrane covering the whites of the eyes. Inflammation
of this part of the eye is called conjunctivitis, commonly known as
"pinkeye".
Cyclitis:
Inflammation of the ciliary body that causes redness of the sclera adjacent
to the cornea of the eye. (The ciliary body is the set of muscles that
make your eye focus on objects close up or far away.)
Limbus:
The junction between the cornea and the sclera. This is the area surrounding
the iris.
Sclera:
Whites of the eyes
Uveitis:
Swelling and irritation of the center of the eye. The uvea provides
most of the blood supply to the retinas.
GENERAL PIGMENTATION ISSUES
(Not limited to rings, but may appear as such in rare situations)
Argyria / Argyrosis (rare; caused
by excessive silver salts, long term minocycline use, etc.)
Bluish-black pigmentation due to excessive applications of insoluble
albuminate of silver, such as colloidal silver. This is rare, but most
often seen as a general blueish-black skin discoloration, but can be
localized to the eyes if the patient is just using a silver salt compound
near the eyes on a long-term basis. The discoloration is permanent,
and harmless by itself, however extremely high doses of silver compounds
can eventually be fatal. The discoloration often gets confused with
cyanosis (lack of oxygen, which also causes a blueish tint) and can
present extra challenges in medical care.
Calcific Band Keratopathy
Grayish-white Calcium deposits (often in a band, but sometimes occurring
in a ring) either across the cornea or in the limbus. Caused by conditions
resulting in high calcium, such as primary hyperparathyroidism, chronic
renal insufficiency (evidenced by elevated calcium in relation to phosphate),
sarcoidosis, milk-alkali syndrome, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin's disease,
and beryliosis (beryillium disease due to inhallation of beryillium
dust.)
This may get confused for Arcus (see description in next section) but
high calcium conditions can be noted on a complete metabolic/chem20
blood test - get a cholesterol panel at the same time to determine whether
it's a calcium issue, cholesterol issue or something else completely.
Chrysiasis /
chrysoderma (caused by excessive gold insolubles)
Similar to Argyrosis, only due to gold instead of silver. This discoloration
is also permanent, and is similar in color. Gold salts were once used
as a treatment for joint pain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
(RA); Methotrexate is now the preferred agent for RA treatment.
Foreign Bodies
Metallic objects, and components from things such as makeup or mascara
can get in the eye, get under the top layers, and remain there lending
the color of the object to the part of the eye it's in. Iron deposits
from eye makeup and mascara are just one example of this.
Jaundice
Yellowing of the eyes (and also other parts of the body prone to discoloration
in this situation.) This is caused by various types of liver problems
(cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, Wilson's Disease, Sarcoidosis, acetaminophen/Tylenol
overdosing/poisoning, etc.), as the liver becomes unable to filter bile
out of the body in a timely manner. This is the most common medical
ailment associated with yellowing of the eyes and skin, however Ochronosis
can also sometimes cause a yellow tint. (No, the color is not "off"
in this sample picture - jaundice affects the skin as well as the eye,
giving everything a yellowish tint.)
Not to be confused with Lycopenemia, a harmless yellowish-orange discoloration
due to excessive dietary consumption of lycopenes (found in tomato products
and other fruits and berries) and/or carotenes (such as found in carrots.)
Ochronosis (rare, recessive, inherited)
Blueish-black or dark yellow deposits in the skin of the eyelids, conjunctiva,
sclera and limbus; also in various connective tissues throughout the
body causing them to become brittle. This is a sign of alkaptonuria,
a metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of homogentisic acid oxidase.
Tumors
Tumors may also appear (such as Kaposi's Sarcoma in immunocompromised
patients, or a conjunctival melanoma that turns the location black)
but are generally distinguishable by a professional from simple discoloration
due to size, shape and location in the eye.
Sample tumor pictures are very "ewww, gross!" - run your
own search if you really want to see them, I'm not forcing them upon
anyone who's unprepared.
SPECIFIC ISSUES
Arcus Senilis / Corneal Arcus
Greyish-white ring, or partial ring, around the outer edge. True Arcus
is caused by deposits due to abnormally high lipid levels (hyperlipoproteinemia).
A cholesterol panel can reveal whether cholesterol is the cause; paired
with a complete metabolic/chem20 panel can differentiate between cholesterol,
calcium and other issues. The pigmentation changes are permanent, but
do not seem to cause visual impairments (they don't cross the pupil).
It is referred to as "Arcus Senilis" in the elderly (it's
occurrence is more frequent with age) and "corneal arcus"
in younger people.
Heterochromia, Central
The central zone of the iris (surrounding the pupil) is a different
color from the rest of the iris. Often this different color is yellow,
brown, orange, and is often (sometimes incorrectly) referred to as "hazel"
if it coveres most of, or all of, the iris. It may be a small skinny
ring, or covering larger portions of the iris. It's often cosmetic -
and hotly debated as to whether it's due to excessive toxins in the
body. (I wouldn't rule out the toxin theory, it's wouldn't be the first
time conventional medicine ignores something simple because they think
it couldn't possibly be a cause...)
Alternate causes can include a condition called Fuchs' Heterochromic
Uveitis/Iridocyelitis, a chronic low-grade inflammatory condition that
also includes cataracts, opacities, and glaucoma, and is typically seen
between ages 20-60, with an average age of diagnosis being around 40.
Heterochromia, Sectoral (inherited)
The heterochromic coloration only occurs in one section (hence "sectoral")
of the iris. Much less common than central heterochromia or complete
heterochromia, and typically found with such ailments as Hirschsprung's
disease (enlargement of the colon caused by obstruction) and Waardenburg
syndrome (characterized by varying degrees of hearing impairment, pigmentary
abnormalities of the skin, hair and eyes, and sometimes including intestinal
and spinal defects.)
Kayser-Fleischer Ring
Coppery (or dark green) coloration in the limbus area. This is common
in Wilson's disease due to a failure to metabolize copper. It occasionally
occurs in populations with liver issues (chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis,
high cholesterol in the liver, etc.) In Wilson's Disease, there is a
corresponding gene defect mapped to chromosone 13. The upper portion
of the eye is affected more frequently than the lower.
Limbus / Limbal Ring
General term referencing pigmentation of the limbus. Limbal rings are
always dark - they may even appear black, depending on a person's vision
(remember up to 1 in 12 people have some form of color blindness, whether
mild or severe) - and the visibility does depend on ambient lighting
and eye moisture. One proposed theory on one site is that it's a shadow
caused by the shape of the cornea, but I haven't found anything in medical
literature to verify or deny that yet.
Possible medical causes:
- Addison's Disease (a form of hyptothyroidism)
- Arcus rings (see above) - benign
- Calcium Deposits, occasionally
- Chronic hepatitis or other liver disease
- Kayser-Fleischer rings (see above) - Wilson's Disease / failure
to metabolize copper
- etc.
In other aspects, limbal rings are very popular from an aesthetic viewpoint,
as they are VERY commonly added to contact lenses, especially in Asian
countries, to highlight the iris.
This site contains articles on various medical
topics; however, no warranty whatsoever is made that any of the articles
are accurate - and even if a statement made about medical matters is
accurate, it may not apply to you or your symptoms. These
medical articles are provided on a general informational basis only
- nothing on this site should be construed as an attempt to offer or
render a medical opinion or otherwise engage in the practice of medicine.
Even though the authors may be capable of
doing extensive research, it must be understood that neither SphynxCatVP,
nor the rest of the contributors, are doctors, despite the presence
of any books of the medical profession in the personal libraries of
any of the authors. Any such articles are thusly written, in part or
in whole, by nonprofessionals. Consequently, there is absolutely no
guarantee that any statement contained or cited in an article touching
on medical matters is true, precise, or up-to-date.
At best, you can use the article to strike
up a conversation with your doctor or other medical professional ABOUT
your symptoms, and share any concerns you may have for them to investigate.
The medical information provided by this site is of a general nature
and CANNOT legally be considered a substitute for the advice of a medical
professional.
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