# White balance differences between two eyes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-balance-differences-between-two-eyes/696909 "2014-08-29T21:02:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-balance-differences-between-two-eyes/696909/1 "2014-08-29T21:02:27Z")
I noticed a bizarre phenomenon today when I was looking at my phone: When I close my right eye, the phone screen looks bluer than normal, almost like my brain isn’t color-correcting it to the normal white. If I just close my left eye, the colors look normal. I’m right-eye-dominant, so when both eyes are open, things seem fine. Should I be concerned about this? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-balance-differences-between-two-eyes/696909/2 "2014-08-29T21:32:39Z")
Here’s a previous thread on the same topic: > **[Seeing Two Different Shades of Color Out of Each Eye](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=629994)** > > Hi guys, I have noticed sometimes that I see two slightly different shades of colors out of one eye when I close the other. It’s easiest to perceive if I am looking at something that is a soft white. When I close my right eye, the white has a... QtM mentions cataracts as a possible cause but the general feel I get from the rest of the thread is that it’s fairly common. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-balance-differences-between-two-eyes/696909/3 "2014-08-29T21:34:51Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > I noticed a bizarre phenomenon today when I was looking at my phone: When I close my right eye, the phone screen looks bluer than normal, almost like my brain isn’t color-correcting it to the normal white. If I just close my left eye, the colors look normal. > > I’m right-eye-dominant, so when both eyes are open, things seem fine. > > Should I be concerned about this? I’d guess that in different lighting you’d not note the same effect. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-balance-differences-between-two-eyes/696909/4 "2014-08-29T21:37:53Z")
> [@DingoelGringo](#): > > I’d guess that in different lighting you’d not note the same effect. I’d guess you’d be wrong. See the other thread (and there are probably yet others). We have done this to death. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-balance-differences-between-two-eyes/696909/5 "2014-08-29T21:49:50Z")
Several years ago, I experienced a vivid color shift, with the green light on my speakers loooking vivid green in one eye and just yellow in the other. I went to my ophthalmo and he examined me thoroughly and found nothing to be concerned about, and suggested that it might be caused by stress or nervous tension, which at the time, would fit. It cleared up after a week or two. A few days ago, I noticed this to a slight degree again, but it went away by the next day. I also found that when I needed cataract repair, that the apparent color of shades of off white were markedly different in each eye, as cataracts also darken color and light perception. But if you are under about 50, it is unlikely that cataracts would be your cause. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2014, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-balance-differences-between-two-eyes/696909/6 "2014-08-29T21:54:42Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Several years ago, I experienced a vivid color shift, with the green light on my speakers loooking vivid green in one eye and just yellow in the other. I went to my ophthalmo and he examined me thoroughly and found nothing to be concerned about, and suggested that it might be caused by stress or nervous tension, which at the time, would fit. It cleared up after a week or two. A few days ago, I noticed this to a slight degree again, but it went away by the next day. > > I also found that when I needed cataract repair, that the apparent color of shades of off white were markedly different in each eye, as cataracts also darken color and light perception. But if you are under about 50, it is unlikely that cataracts would be your cause. I have had the cataracts removed in both eyes, and I still see a difference.