Color blindness is a reduced, partial or complete lack of ability to distinguish colors and shades. The condition is not life-threatening, but it affects the quality of everyday perception of the world, learning, choosing a profession and orientation in space.
What happens with color blindness?
The problem is related to the peculiarities of the retina. Its photoreceptors – cones – contain pigments responsible for the perception of basic colors. If part of the cones is missing or does not work properly, a person does not distinguish individual shades or replaces them with other colors.
Types of color blindness
- Dichromasia – a person does not distinguish shades of one basic color.
- Monochromacy – only one color is perceived normally.
- Achromasia — the most difficult form, when the world is seen mainly in black and white.
Protanomaly, deuteranomaly and tritanomaly are also distinguished depending on which color palette is perceived incorrectly.
Symptoms
The main symptom is the inability to distinguish colors correctly. In some forms, sensitivity to light or impaired vision at dusk may be added. It is more difficult to notice color blindness in children, because the child may not understand that he names colors differently than others.
Parents should pay attention to drawings and everyday situations: if a child constantly chooses unnatural colors for familiar objects, this is a reason to make an appointment with a children’s ophthalmologist.
Who is more likely to have color blindness?
Congenital form is more common in men due to heredity. In women, it happens less often, but it is also possible. If there are cases of color blindness in the family, it is advisable to discuss the risks with the doctor at the stage of planning the child.
Reasons
Color blindness can be congenital or acquired. Congenital form is related to heredity. Acquired can occur after eye injuries, damage to the optic nerve or retina, age-related changes in the lens, neurological diseases, hemorrhages, tumors, or an individual reaction to drugs.
Can color blindness be cured?
Congenital color blindness is usually not completely cured, but it can be partially corrected with special glasses or contact lenses. The acquired form is sometimes treatable if the cause is eliminated: cataract, glaucoma, the effects of trauma or the effect of the drug.
Prevention
Congenital form cannot be prevented, but hereditary risks can be assessed. For the prevention of acquired disorders, it is important to regularly undergo an ophthalmologist’s examination, especially in the case of diabetes, cataracts, eye injuries or progression of visual symptoms.
