Seeing Red in 3D

For the past month or so, everytime I see something either written or drawn in red, or something that is written or drawn on a red background, it appears to me as three dimensional.  I was kind of emparased at an art workshop where I was asking where everyone was getting the 3D paint from.  I realised that it was not 3D paint but my eyes playing tricks on me.  This is new and has not happend to me before.  Is this a problem with my eyes, or something else?

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

Sometimes with different backgrounds and different overlying paint colors especially red or green or vice versa the colors can be focused differently on the retina.  We use the phenomenon sometimes to red/green refract patients but the same effect can sometimes give the illusion of images coming up off the page or computer screen.  I suspect this could be what is happening.  You may want to be checked for glasses and a complete eye exam with an ophthalmolgist to be on the safe side.  The main thing is that you should usually only see it with certain color combinations and not with others.    

MJK MD