What is color blindness?

What is color blindness?
Posted on 20-02-2022

Not everyone sees the world the same way. And this is somewhat literal because colorblind people cannot distinguish certain colors, for example, red and greenColorblind people are not blindthey just perceive colors differently.

When light from the environment enters the eye, it is focused on the layer at the back of the eye called the retina, which contains millions of tiny light-sensitive cells called photoreceptors, and the incoming light interacts with these photoreceptors, sending information in the form of the electrical signal along the optic nerve to the brain.

THE HUMAN EYE HAS TWO MAIN TYPES OF PHOTORECEPTORS.

THE RODS AND THE CONES

Rods are what we use for peripheral vision and to see at night or in low light conditions, and they are not able to distinguish color. The cones, on the other hand, are responsible for color vision and allow us to see sharp details in the central part of our vision, these are mainly in the center of the retina.

Humans have three types of cones for color vision: blue, green, and red, which correspond to the color of light that stimulates them most strongly. Different types of cones respond differently to different colors of light depending on the type of pigment they contain. The combination of different wavelengths of light that activate the different types of cones allows most people to see and distinguish between many different shades and colors.

SO NOW THAT WE KNOW HOW HUMANS PERCEIVE COLOR, WHAT IS COLOR BLINDNESS?

When the cones do not have one or more of the usual pigments or there is a genetic mutation in a pigment that impairs their function, the cones will be unable to be stimulated by certain wavelengths of light. This gives rise to a condition called color blindness or color vision deficiency, which is the inability to distinguish or perceive certain colors, that is being color blind.

DO ALL COLORBLIND PEOPLE PERCEIVE COLOR IN THE SAME WAY?

No, there are different types of color blindness, some with genetic causes and others that are caused by diseases such as macular degeneration or diabetes or by damage caused by the environment, such as certain types of medications.

For example, a relatively common inherited form of color blindness occurs when the pigment that is supposed to be sensitive to green light in the green cones mutates and becomes more sensitive to red than green light, meaning that people Those born with this condition have trouble perceiving the color green, but are still good at distinguishing other colors.

One of the rarest types of color blindness is the complete absence of red cones, resulting in the inability to distinguish between red, yellow, and green, and resulting in a reduced perception of the brightness of some colors.

Most people with color blindness can see colors, but not all. They have a harder time differentiating colors, and this can depend on how dark or light a color is. Although it is very rare, there is also total color blindness. It's called achromatopsia, and people with it can only see things in black and white or shades of gray.

COMPLICATIONS WHEN SUFFERING FROM COLOR BLINDNESS

Color blindness is not expected to cause other long-term health problems. However, there are some careers that require sharp vision, and this condition will prevent you from working in the following occupations:

  • Electrical technician
  • Pharmacist
  • Technician in a hospital laboratory
  • Custom agent
  • fire service
  • Position in the armed forces
  • Pilot and air traffic controller
  • Paint, textile, or paper manufacturer
  • The train conductor and railway maintenance worker

Color blindness can also affect a child's ability to learn, so be sure to let teachers know if your child is color blind so they can adapt the learning material appropriately.

HOW IS IT TREATED?

color blinding

There is currently no treatment for color blindness, as the defective cones that cause the disease cannot be replaced. And since the disease will not cause health problems, treatment is not essential. However, there are some things you can do to reduce the discomfort caused by the disease:

ADAPT LIFESTYLE

  • You can adapt your lifestyle to your color blindness.
  • Ask your friends and family to help you choose clothes and items that are important to color.
  • You can install lighting that helps you distinguish the different colors more easily.
  • You can inform your child's school of their color blindness so that they can adapt their teaching materials and methods.

CONTACT LENSES

Tinted contact lenses can sometimes help distinguish colors. However, this does not work in all cases. They are typically used in one eye only and can affect the assessment of distance, depth, and light intensity.

ARE THERE TREATMENTS OR A CURE FOR COLOR BLINDNESS?

Unfortunately, there is no cure for hereditary color blindness, but some types of glasses, contact lenses, and other visual aids can help distinguish colors. For color blindness caused by reasons other than genetics, treating the underlying disease or injury or stopping the medication causing the problem may help.

Although having a poor color vision can be bothersome and can inhibit certain career aspirations, in most cases, fortunately, it is not a serious threat to vision.

PREVENTION OF COLOR BLINDNESS

Although color blindness cannot be prevented, it is extremely easy to detect and is usually detected during the first medical visit to the school. The anomaly is easily detected with the help of graphics that represent numbers or drawings made up of colored dots on a background of another color, and if the color of the dress makes you doubt, try the color blindness test.

 

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