Understanding Color Blindness
Color blindness is typically a genetic condition which impairs someone's ability to discern between shades of color. Color blindness is a result of a deficiency in the cones in the eye's macular area, generally diminishing a viewer's power to differentiate varieties of red or green, but it can impact the ability to see additional hues too.
The discernment of color is dependent upon the cones located in the eye's macula. Humans are commonly born with three kinds of pigmented cones, each perceiving different wavelengths of color tone. This is similar to the wavelengths of sound. When it comes to shades of color, the length of the wave is directly connected to the resulting color. Long waves are seen as reds, moderately-sized waves produce greens and shorter waves produce blue tones. Which pigmented cone is affected impacts the spectrum and severity of the color blindness.
Red-green color blindness is more common in men than in women since the genetic code is sex-linked and recessive.
Color vision deficiencies are not a devastating condition, but they can damage learning and development and work performance. The inability to see colors as peers do could severely hurt a student's self-image. For certain occupations, such as police officers, pilots, and electricians, normal color vision is crucial.
There are a few tests for color blindness. The most common is the Ishihara color test, called after its designer. In this test, a plate is shown with a group of dots in a circle in different sizes and colors. Inside the circle one with normal color vision can see a digit in a particular tint. The patient's capability to make out the number inside the dots of contrasting shades determines the level of red-green color sight.
Although hereditary color blindness can't be treated, there are some options that can assist to make up for it. Some evidence shows that using tinted lenses or glasses which block glare can help to see the distinction between colors. More and more, computer applications are being developed for standard PCs and even for mobile machines that can assist users to differentiate color better depending on their specific diagnosis. There is also interesting research being conducted in gene therapy to improve the ability to distinguish colors.
The extent to which color vision problems limit a person is dependent upon the type and severity of the condition. Some individuals can accommodate to their deficiency by learning substitute cues for determining a color scheme. For example, many people learn the order of traffic lights or contrast items with color paradigms like green trees or a blue body of water.
If you notice signs that you or your child could be color blind it's important to get tested by an eye doctor. The sooner the condition is diagnosed, the sooner you can help. Feel free to call our Northridge, CA optometry practice to schedule an exam.
