Posted by: OptiVision Eye care in Health, Vision

You know what they: the world isn’t black and white. However, for some people – it might as well be. Color blindness is a common vision deficiency which causes you to have difficulty seeing red, green, or blue. Contrary to popular belief (and what I just said above), it’s actually pretty rare for a person to perceive no color at all. Disorders such as color blindness are characterized as color vision problems and can have a major impact on your life. It can limit your career prospects, make daily activities more confusing, and cause learning difficulties.

About

Within the eye, there are normally three types of cone cells which each sense either red, green, or blue light. Your brain perceives colors when your cone cells detect different amounts of these basic colors. Most of your cone cells are concentrated at the center of your retina, in the macula.

Causes

Color blindness is caused when one or more types of cone cells are not present or if the cone cells do not function properly. You may not be able to perceive one of the three basic colors or you may see a different shade or a different color altogether. In rare cases, some people do not see any color at all – only white, black, or grey. These types of color blindness are often a hereditary condition that is present at birth, although you may not notice that you have it until later in life.

When color blindness is not inherited, it is usually caused by aging, injury, or as a side effect of a medication. Color blindness can also be caused by eye conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy.

Diagnosis

There are several ways to test for color blindness. Usually, these tests will involve the differentiation of objects that are similarly colored or colored in ways that individuals with color blindness cannot distinguish. It is important to have children tested for color blindness between the ages of three and five. Color blindness can have a large effect on an individual’s life, so it is crucial to catch it as early as possible.

Still in the dark about color blindness? Let us know!