Contact Lenses: An Effective Solution For Color Blindness

Contact Lenses: An Effective Solution For Color Blindness

Color blindness is a defect that affects the way people see colors. It is sometimes manageable, but be a drawback for people whose profession requires them to see colors accurately.

After several years of color-blind patients living with no effective treatment for color blindness, researchers eventually discovered one. This comes in the form of color vision glasses and contact lenses – most patients prefer the contact lenses.

With these treatment options, people with color blindness can differentiate colors and enhance their color vision.

 

What Is Color Blindness?

Color blindness is a deficiency that affects the way people see colors. It makes it difficult to identify colors and differentiate them. People living with color blindness will experience difficulty distinguishing specific shades of colors like yellow, green, red.

The most common colors people with this deficiency have a problem identifying are shades of red, brown, yellow, orange, and green.

Color vision deficiency (CVD) is the official name of color blindness, and it can be gotten via one of the following means:

• Genetics – passed on from mother to child.
• Injury to the eye
• Medication
• Old age, etc.

 

Who Gets Color Blindness?

As said earlier, CVD can be gotten via genetics, and it has been discovered that men are more likely to be color blind than women. According to research, while color blindness affects 12 out of every 200 men, it only affects 1 out of every 200 women. This is because the color-blindness condition is mostly attached to the X chromosome.

Because males have a single X chromosome, if the mother is color blind, it will be passed on to the son via that single X chromosome. On the flip side, females have two chromosomes – the X and Y. For that reason, the chances that a daughter will inherit color blindness is low, because both chromosomes will have to be affected to inherit the condition – which is less likely.

 

Signs and Symptoms of Color Blindness

Inherited color blindness may be noticed and present as early as birth. Also, it may begin later during childhood or adult years.

The main symptom of color blindness is having difficulty telling colors, especially blue, yellow, red, and green apart. Also, if people have been pointing out that you see colors differently, you may want to see a doctor.

While color blind patients may identify some colors correctly, some may appear washed out and confusing, depending on the type of deficiency present.

Causes of Color Blindness

Color blindness occurs when light-sensitive cells in the retina don’t respond appropriately to variations in wavelengths of light. For example, everyone will agree that the color of a green apple is green. However, green colors are of different shades, and some may not be able to distinguish the different shades.

The human eye contains three cone cells in the macula – which connects to the retina. When light enters the eyes, it gets focused on the retina with the help of the lens. Each of the cells then detect the primary colors: Red, Green, and Blue.

When color blindness is inherited, one of these three cones will either be malfunctioning or missing in the eye. When this happens, the affected person won’t be able to see one of the primary colors: red, green, or blue. In some cases, while the colors might be seen, the shade of the colors will be misperceived.

Other non-inherited causes of color blindness are;

 

1. Parkinson’s disease

This is a neurological disorder that may damage the light-sensitive nerve cells in the retina.

2. Cataracts

This is an eye defect that clouds the lens and can wash out color visions.

3. Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON)

Optic neuropathy causes inflammation of the optic nerve. This can lead to color blindness, especially the red-green color vision defects. For low vision help contact LowVisionMD.org

4. Medications

Some certain medications when used, can reduce color vision – usually temporary.

5. Aging

The aging process can damage retina cells, or cause damage to areas where vision processing takes place.

6. Kallman’s syndrome

This condition can also lead to color blindness.

 

Types of Color Blindness

There are different types of color vision deficiency. Some deficiency can affect or alter a photopigment, or lead to the total loss of that photopigment.

The different types of color blindness are;

1. Red-Green Color Blindness

This is the most common type of inherited color blindness. It is present when there is a loss or a limited number of red cones or green cone photopigments. Red-green color blindness is present in either of the following situations;

• Protanomaly: In this condition, the red cone photopigment is abnormal. Thus colors like red, yellow, and orange appear greener.
• Protanopia: The red cone photopigments fail to function correctly, causing red to appear as black. Also, some shades of orange, yellow, and green may appear yellow.
• Deuteranomaly: The green cone is abnormal, thus yellow and green will appear redder, and violet and blue will look the same.
• Deuteranopia: Green cone photopigments are no longer working, causing red color to appear as brownish-yellow.

 

2. Blue-Yellow Color Blindness

This is less common compared to Red-Green color blindness. The condition occurs when blue cone cells are missing, or have limited functions.

• Tritanomaly: Here, there are not enough blue cone cells, thus blue appears green, while red and yellow will look like pink.
• Tritanopia: Tritanopia is the lack of blue cone photopigments. This will cause blue to appear as green; and yellow appears to be violet.

 

3. Complete Color Blindness

People with this type of color blindness don’t see colors at all. Their vision is also affected during this condition. The condition is also known as monochromacy, and there are two types;

• Cone Monochromacy

This occurs when two of the three cone cell photopigments fail to work. The way color vision works is that the brain compares signals from the three types of cones to see colors. So, when only one cone is working, the comparison becomes impossible, hence causing the brain to see only one color.

• Rod Monochromacy (Achromatopsia)

This is the rarest and most severe type of color blindness, usually present from birth. The retina lacks all photopigments, and can only see colors as black, gray, and white — also, people with this deficiency experience discomforts in bright environments.

 

How Does Color Blindness Affect Daily Life.

Color vision deficiency can make it hard to read color-coded information like pie and bar charts. This is notably worse in undiagnosed young children, especially in art classes.

Also, for adults, it can be hard to distinguish colors, depending on the type of color blindness. Simple tasks like cooking or buying clothes may appear challenging, as selecting the ripe fruit or right clothes can be difficult. Young children can also find food less appealing because it appears “dull.” For some adults who drive, traffic lights and maps may be difficult to read.

Also, in some workplaces and organizations, people need to pass a color vision test to get a job. Eighty percent of our patients at Colormax consult us because they need to pass a vision test for their jobs.

 

How to Detect Color Blindness

Most people realize they have color blindness themselves, after noticing that they see colors differently from others, or cannot identify specific shade of colors.

Ishihara Color Vision Charts are the most common way to test for color blindness. The test, developed by a Japanese ophthalmologist, Shinobu Ishihara, features 38 pages with dots of different colors sizes and intensity.

People with normal color vision can easily spot a single or two number digit number amongst the dots. However, people with color blindness will find this difficult.

At Colormax, it is crucial to pass through a color-blind test and extensive analysis to know whether the ColorCorrection System will be of help to you or not. You can start by taking this free online color blind test.

 

Treatment For Color Blindness

There is currently no way to replace or repair cells in the retina, so there is no permanent cure for color blindness.

However, filtering the wavelength of light that enters the eyes can help the brain detect otherwise undetectable shades of colors.

This filtration is done with the use of specialized filters that can be made in the form of contact lenses or eyeglasses.

 

Contact Lenses

Many years ago, there was no treatment for color blindness. Most people with color blindness were told it’s a permanent genetic condition. They were advised that they should avoid tasks that require color vision.

However, with the invention of Dr. Azman’s Color Correction System™ and contact lenses for color blindness, succor has been brought to those suffering from color blindness.

With our contact lenses at Colourmax, hundreds of people previously restricted by the walls that color blindness brings have been set free. If you are presently color blind and need to see colors correctly (for one reason or the other), be assured that you will achieve that and also pass the Ishihara color plate test with flying colors.

Since 1999, we have a 100 percent success rate for passing the gold standard Ishihara color blindness.

 

How to Get Contact Lenses For Color Blindness

To get started, you will have to first go through an eye examination and evaluation at our office. This process takes about five to eight hours, and it can be done in one visit.

Based on the information gathered from this examination and evaluation, contact lenses for color blindness will be designed to meet your personalized color vision needs.

To find out more about this, you can visit our FAQ page. To talk to a professional or book an appointment with Dr. Azman, you can call us on (443) 470-9844, or fill out our secure online contact form.