How We Perceive Color: Understanding Color Vision Deficiencies

Color blindness is a condition impacting one's ability to view colors under normal light or to perceive colors as they are viewed by normal people. Generally, the disorder is present at birth, but can also be a result of accidents or a number of eye diseases.

The perception of color is dependent upon the cones found in the eye.} Humans are generally born with three varieties of cones, all of which perceive different wavelengths of color tone. When it comes to shades of color, the size of the wave is directly linked to the resulting color. Long waves generate reds, medium-length waves generate green tones and short waves produce blues. Which pigmented cone is affected impacts the nature and seriousness of the color blindness.

Being a sex-linked recessive trait, many more men are found to be red-green color blind than females. Still, there are a number of females who do experience varying degrees of color vision deficiency, specifically yellow-blue color blindness.

Color blindness is not a debilitating condition, but can impair educational development and work performance. Not having the ability to distinguish colors as fellow students do can immediately harm a student's self-image. For those in the workplace, color blindness could present a disadvantage when running against normal-sighted colleagues trying to advance in the same field.

There are a number of exams for the condition. The most widely used is the Ishihara color exam, called after its designer. For this test a plate is shown with a group of dots in a circle in different colors and sizes. Inside the circle one with proper color vision can see a number in a particular tint. The individual's ability to see the digit inside the dots of clashing colors indicates the level of red-green color blindness.

Although hereditary color blindness can't be corrected, there are a few options that can help to improve the situation. Some evidence shows that using colored contacts or anti-glare glasses can help people to see the distinction between colors. Increasingly, computer applications are becoming available for common computers and even for smaller devices that can help users distinguish color better depending on their particular condition. There is also interesting research being conducted in gene therapy to enhance color vision.

The extent to which color blindness limits a person depends on the variant and severity of the condition. Some individuals can accommodate to their deficiency by learning alternative cues for colored objects or signs. For example, familiarizing oneself with the shapes of traffic signs (in place of recognizing red) or comparing objects with paradigms like green trees or a blue body of water.

If you notice signs that you or a child could be color blind it's recommended to see an optometrist. The earlier a diagnosis is made, the sooner you can help. Contact our Boulder City, NV optometrists to schedule an exam.