Color Blindness

Color Blindness Related Information:

An important problem that many people face is color blindness. Here, you’ll learn some of the basics, including what it is, what the symptoms are, how it can be detected and how it is treated. Color blindness can be a hereditary condition or caused by disease of the optic nerve or retina.  Acquired color vision problems only affect the eye with the disease and may progressively worsen over time.  Patients with a color vision defect caused by disease usually have trouble discriminating blues and yellows.   

You’re probably wondering how people become color blind. Well, the truth is that inherited color blindness is most common, affecting both eyes, and not worsening over time.  You should know that complete color blindness is very rare, and that those who are completely color blind often have other serious eye problems as well.

Photoreceptors, called “cones”, allow us to appreciate color. For this reason, they are of great importance. These are concentrated in the very center of the retina and contain three photosensitive pigments:  red, green and blue.  Those with defective color vision have a deficiency or absence in one or more of these pigments. So you can see now just what people mean when they refer to color blindness.

The symptoms of color blindness are dependent on several factors, such as whether the problem is congenital, acquired, partial, or complete. People who are going color blind often experience difficulty distinguishing reds and greens (most common), as well as distinguishing blues and greens (less common). The symptoms of more serious inherited color vision problems and some types of acquired problems may include the appearance of objects in various shades of gray (this occurs with complete color blindness and is very rare). Reduced vision and Nystagmus are also indicator of the disease. If you are currently experiencing any of these, and you have not consulted your family physician or eye doctor, you’ll want to do so in order to prevent your eyes from unnecessary damage.

As for diagnosing color blindness, color vision deficiency is most commonly detected with special colored charts called the “Ishihara Test Plates”. On each plate is a number composed of colored dots. While holding the chart under good lighting, you’re asked to identify the number. Once the color defect is identified, more detailed color vision tests may be performed. Like this, an eye doctor can help you prevent your eyes from colorblindness, or can at least, detect it early on so that necessary preparations may be made.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment or cure for color blindness. Those with mild color deficiencies learn to associate colors with certain objects and are usually able to identify color as everyone else.  However, they are unable to appreciate color in the same way as those with normal color vision. The treatment, so to speak, is rather a sort of changing your habits; that is, of getting use to a new way of seeing color.

As you can see, your eyes are extremely important, and so, it’s important to take good care of them. Be sure that your eye exams are frequent and thorough, because you’ll always benefit from learning of potential threats to your vision as early as possible. There is a great deal of information concerning eye diseases and problems on the internet and at your local doctor’s office.