Color Blindness Archives

Colorblindness: What it Means to be “Colorblind”

Paul Stubenbordt on July 20, 2016

Having poor color vision is a problem that is more common than you would think. Most people refer to having poor color vision as suffering from “colorblindness,” however, there are different levels at which you can be “colorblind.” People who only see in black and white and experience true “colorblindness” are incredibly rare.

Colorblindness runs in the family unfortunately, so if you have a relative who is colorblind there is a strong chance that you or someone else in your family will be born with colorblindness. Studies have shown that people born with colorblindness are predominantly men. Studies also show that the most common form of colorblindness is the inability to distinguish red and green. On the less common side of the coin, there are people who are unable to distinguish shades of blue and yellow as well.

Aside from being born with colorblindness you can also develop it due to some eye diseases and medications—eye trauma could also potentially cause colorblindness in certain circumstances.

There is a chance that you have been colorblind your entire life and just not known about it. There are some people who only find out they are colorblind by chance—which can be potentially dangerous in the instance they cant tell the difference between a green and red light at a traffic stop.

Those who are affected by colorblindness may have difficulty seeing:

Shades of red and green
Shades of blue and yellow
All color

If you think there is a chance you have issues with distinguishing certain colors then you should consider scheduling an eye exam so your doctor can give you colorblindness tests and be sure once and for all.

Currently there is no cure for colorblindness, however if your inability to perceive color is caused by an eye injury or some type of illness then it is possible that treatment could return your color perception.

What Does It Mean To Have A Color Vision Deficiency?

Paul Stubenbordt on March 23, 2016

Color vision deficiency or, as it is more commonly known, color blindness, occurs when you are unable to perceive a wide spectrum of colors that the eye should be able to see. Color blindness can affect people at a variety of different levels, some may just only be unable to discern shades of red and green while others might see the world only in shades of grey. The most common color blindness affliction is the inability to discern shades of red and green, but a small percentage of people who suffer from color blindness will only see the world in black and white.

In most cases color blindness is inherited and passed down through the generations, but there are some instances where color blindness can be caused by injury or disease or other possible circumstances. Unfortunately, those who inherited their color blindness from a relative will most likely have to deal with the symptoms of color blindness their entire life.

If the optic nerve or retina is damaged in some way, it could cause you to develop some level of color blindness. Diseases such as diabetes, glaucoma, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, age-related macular degeneration and multiple sclerosis have been known to cause symptoms of color blindness. If you have injured your eye or have one of the aforementioned diseases, it is important that you consult your eye doctor about your vision to ensure everything is working properly.

Some prescription medications have been known in rare cases to cause symptoms of color blindness as well. Medications used to treat heart disease, high blood pressure, depression and other psychological problems have been known to occasionally cause issues with color blindness.

Genetically speaking those who are at the highest risk of developing color blindness are white males. In fact, 8 percent of all white males will struggle with color deficiency at some point in their lifetime, while only 0.5 percent of women will have to deal with color blindness.

If you believe you are having difficulty discerning different tints and shades of color, then it is recommending that you call your eye doctor and set up a regular comprehensive eye exam.