Color Blindness is a condition where a person has diminished ability to see differences in colors. Another term for Color Blindness is a color vision problem.
99% of people with this disorder have red/green color blindness. The balance of cases consists of blue/yellow color blindness and complete absence of color vision, which is quite rare.
The image at the top of this post reveals the words “color blind” to most individuals without any color vision problem. Those affected by red/green color blindness will have trouble reading the word “color” and those affected by blue/yellow color blindness will be unable to see the word “blind.”
Most Color Blindness is Hereditary
Most color vision problems are inherited, and they are present at birth. People usually have three types of cone cells in their eyes. Each type senses red, green, or blue light. When a person doesn’t have one of these types of cone cells or they don’t work correctly, color blindness occurs.
In addition, color blindness favors males more than females. An estimated 8% of males and less than 1% of females have color vision problems.
Other Causes for Color Blindness
A patient may also acquire color vision problems as a result of:
- aging
- eye injury
- medication side effects
- other eye diseases
The most common reasons for acquired color blindness are cataracts and optic nerve disease. Multiple Sclerosis and strokes are frequent causes of optic nerve disease. Of these conditions, cataracts are the easiest to treat via cataract surgery.
Diagnosing Color Blindness and Treatment
Color blindness can be diagnosed during an eye examination. Some acquired forms of color blindness can be treated. While inherited color blindness cannot be treated or corrected, an eye doctor can suggest ways to adjust to color vision problems.
If you suspect you have a color vision problem and you live in central New Jersey, contact Atlantic Medical Eye Care to set up an appointment with Dr. Robert Scharfman. He’ll diagnose your condition and discuss your options and other strategies.
Hey,
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