Color blindness is a deficiency in which an individual lacks the ability to perceive colors and is not a form of blindness.
A person with color blindness will have difficulty in seeing certain colors such as red, green, blue, and yellow.
Signs and Symptoms of Color Blindness:
One of the primary signs that an individual is color blind is when another person informs him that the color he is seeing is wrong. Another sign that an individual is color blind is when the person has difficulty naming the colors red, green, blue, and yellow.
It is often mistaken that a color blind individual can only see colors of gray but in reality, an individual who only sees colors of gray rarely happens.
It is advised for an individual to visit a doctor when a sudden, or gradual loss of color vision, such as cataracts, is present.
How Does Color Blindness Occur?
The rods and cones inside the retina are responsible for color vision and they are called the photoreceptors. Photoreceptors are focused in the macula, which is the central zone of the retina. Failure of light-sensitive cells to properly respond to wavelengths of light in the retina will result in color blindness.
Color blindness can also be inherited from other causes such as:
- Parkinson’s disease. Because it is a neurological disorder, the light sensitive cells in the retina can be damaged.
- Cataracts. Cataracts can decrease color vision because of the clouding in the eyes.
- Certain medications. Some medications can be a factor of a decrease in color vision. An example of a drug is Tiagabine, an anti-seizure drug that can decrease 41 percent of an individual’s color vision.
Damages in retinal cells because of old age is also a factor in color blindness.
Treatment for Color Blindness
There is no cure for color blindness yet, but there are mechanisms that can help an individual to cope with color vision deficiency such as using a special lens that can enhance an individual’s perception of colors, asking a family member to sort out or label white and colored clothes, or an individual can focus on how the object works rather than how it looks, just like the traffic light.
If you suspect that you have a color vision deficiency, it is recommended that you visit a doctor who specializes in the eye. It is also to further discuss if using a special color blind lens is recommended for you to use if you are positive that you do lack color perception.
