WHAT IS COLOUR BLINDNESS?
If you’re colour-blind, you see colours differently from the majority of people. Colour blindness frequently makes it challenging to distinguish between particular colours.
Colour blindness typically runs in families. Specialised glasses and contact lenses can help, but there is no cure. The majority of colour-blind people are adaptable and have little trouble going about their daily lives.
IS THERE ANY TYPE OF COLOUR BLINDNESS?
If you are colour blind, you may not be able to perceive colour at all or you may not be able to perceive particular colours the way most people do. Different colour vision issues are brought on by various types of colour blindness.
RED-GREEN COLOUR BLINDNESS
It might be challenging to distinguish between red and green when suffering from the most prevalent type of colour blindness.
Red-green colour blindness comes in 4 different forms:
- The most prevalent kind of red-green colour blindness is deuteranomaly. It intensifies the red in green. This kind is modest and typically doesn’t interfere with daily activities.
- Red appears less bright and greener due to protonomy. This kind is modest and typically doesn’t interfere with daily activities.
- Both protanopia and deuteranopia completely impair your ability to distinguish between red and green.
BLUE -YELLOW COLOUR BLINDNESS
It is challenging to distinguish between blue and green as well as between yellow and red when one has this less prevalent type of colour blindness.
Blue-yellow colour blindness comes in two varieties:
- It is challenging to distinguish between yellow and red and blue and green due to tritanomaly.
- You can’t distinguish between blue and green, purple and red, or yellow and pink if you have tritanopia. Colours also appear less vivid as a result.
COMPLETE COLOUR BLINDNESS
You cannot see any colours if you are completely colour-blind. This is exceedingly rare and is also known as monochromacy. You might also have problems seeing clearly and be more sensitive to light, depending on the type.
SYMPTOMS OF COLOUR BLINDNESS
Not seeing colours as most people do is the main sign of colour blindness. If you’re colour-blind, it could be challenging to see:
- a distinction between colours
- Different colour tones vary in their brightness.
The signs of colour blindness can frequently be so subtle that you might not even notice them. Many people who are colour blind are unaware of their condition since we grow accustomed to how colours appear to us.
Other symptoms, such as nystagmus or sensitivity to light, may also be present in those with very severe cases of colour blindness.
ARE YOU AT RISK FOR COLOUR BLINDNESS?
Compared to women, men are far more likely to be colour-blind. Having colour blindness is also more likely if you:
- have a history of colour blindness in your family
- have conditions that affect the eyes, such as glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
- possess certain health issues, such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, or multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Take specific medications
- being white
If you suspect that you may be colour-blind, discuss having a test done with your doctor.
RIGHT TIME TO CHECK COLOUR BLINDNESS FOR YOUR CHILDREN
The identification of colour blindness in youngsters can be challenging. Colourblind children might try to conceal their condition. However, if you’re worried about your child’s ability to read from a chalkboard or perform other tasks because of colour blindness, you should have them evaluated.
If there is a history of colour blindness in your family or if your child seems to be struggling with colour recognition, have them checked.
Ask the eye doctor to examine your child’s eyes. Additionally, you might be able to test your child at school.
CAUSES OF COLOUR BLINDNESS
The most prevalent types of colour blindness are hereditary, or inherited from one’s parents. Your colour vision won’t improve or deteriorate over time if your colour blindness is inherited.
If you have a condition or accident that affects your eyes or brain, you could develop colour blindness later in life.
On chromosomes, which are collections of genes, diseases like colour blindness are transferred from parents to their offspring.
The X and Y chromosomes are a couple of them, and they control whether you are a boy or a girl at birth. Females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X and one Y chromosome. The X chromosome is where the genes that might cause red-green colour blindness are handed down.
Men are more likely than women to have red-green colour blindness since it is X-chromosome-inherited. This is due to:
- The sole X chromosome that males inherit from their mothers is. They will suffer red-green colour blindness if that X chromosome carries the red-green colour blindness gene rather than a normal X chromosome.
- Two X chromosomes, one from the mother and one from the father, are present in females. The gene for red-green colour blindness must be present on both X chromosomes in order to have the condition.
Both men and women are equally affected by blue-yellow colour blindness and full-colour blindness, which are inherited on other chromosomes.
HOW TO SELF-CHECK FOR COLOUR BLINDNESS?
Usually, a quick test performed by your eye specialist may determine whether you are colour-blind.
Your eye doctor will demonstrate the test to you by displaying a circle with a variety of coloured dots inside it. Inside the circle is a dot-based shape that resembles a number, letter, or wavy line. If you don’t have colour blindness, it’s simple to perceive this shape, but those who do have trouble seeing it are those who are colour blind.
COLOUR PALATE TEST
The most typical kind of colour blindness test is this one. Your ophthalmologist will ask you to examine a pattern of coloured dots with a number or other object in the centre that is coloured differently. You can be colour-blind if you can’t see the form because it blends into the background. Colour blindness can be detected using various colour plates.
ANOMALOSCOPE TEST
If you can match the brightness of two lights, you pass this exam. You will look at two different bright lights through an eyepiece. You’ll try to align the lights using knobs as you modify them. You might be colour-blind if you can’t match the brightness of the two lights.
HUE TEST
You will encounter coloured blocks in a hue test. Your ophthalmologist will instruct you to arrange them in a rainbow pattern, for example, red to purple. You might suffer from a particular form of colour blindness if you have problems putting them in the right sequence. Eye specialists frequently provide this test to those who require an extremely accurate colour vision for their lines of work, such as photographers or designers.
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR COLOUR BLINDNESS
Colour blindness that runs in families cannot be cured, but most people are able to adapt. Adults with colour blindness might not be able to perform some vocations, such as being a pilot or graphic designer, while children with colour blindness could need assistance with particular classroom tasks. Remember that colour blindness typically doesn’t result in significant issues.
If another medical issue is the source of your colour blindness, your doctor will treat that disease first. Your doctor may advise switching to a different medication or adjusting your dosage if the medication you’re taking makes you colourblind.
There are gadgets and technologies that can assist if colour blindness makes performing daily tasks difficult, such as:
- contacts and glasses. People who are colour-blind may benefit from special contact lenses and eyewear that can distinguish between different hues of colour.
- visual supports. You can live with colour blindness with the aid of visual aids, applications, and other technology. For instance, you could use an app to capture a photo on your phone or tablet, and then tap on a specific portion of the image to see what colour it is.
With your eye doctor, go over your alternatives. Keep in mind this advice:
- Consult your physician about the use of technology and visual aids to assist you in doing daily duties.
- Encourage family members to get a colour blindness screening because the condition can run in families.
