COLOUR BLINDNESS

Edited by, SNEHA MAVIS

Color blindness, also known as poor or deficient colour vision, is the inability to distinguish between certain colours. Though the term "colour blind" is commonly used to describe this condition, true colour blindness in which everything is seen in shades of black and white known as achromatopsia, which is a rare condition.

Color blindness is usually hereditary. Men are more likely than women to be colour blind. Colour blindness is more likely to be inherited by males than by women since women are more likely to carry the defective chromosome that causes it.

TYPES:

Red-green deficiency is the most common type of colour deficiency. This does not imply that people with the deficiency cannot see these colors at all; rather, they have a more difficult time distinguishing between them, which can vary depending on the darkness or lightness of the colors.

Blue-Yellow deficiency is another type of colour deficiency. Because people with blue-yellow deficiency frequently have red-green blindness, this is rarer and more severe form of colour vision loss than just red-green deficiency. Achromatopsia is a condition in which people are completely colorblind and can only see black and white or grayscale images.

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY:

There are two types of light-detecting cells in the retina. They are known as rods and cones. Rods can only detect light and dark and are extremely sensitive to low light levels. Colour is detected by cone cells, which are concentrated near the centre of vision. Color is perceived by three types of cones: red, green, and blue. The input from these cone cells is used by the brain to determine our colour perception.

Color blindness occurs when one or more color cone cells are absent, do not function, or detect a different color than normal. When all three cone cells are missing, color blindness becomes severe. When all three cone cells are present but one isn't functioning properly, mild colour blindness occurs. It notices a colour that isn't quite right.

SYMPTOMS:

A change in your vision is the most common symptoms of colour blindness. A traffic light, for example, may be difficult to distinguish between red and green. Colors may appear less vibrant than before. Different shades of a color may appear identical. 

Color blindness is typically noticeable when children are learning their colors at early age. Because some peope have learnt to link specific colours with specific objects, the problem goes unnoticed.

CAUSES:

There are various resons of colour blindness:

Inherited disorder:

Color deficiency is an inherited disorder caused by an X-linked recessive gene passed down from mother to son. Inherited color deficiency is a condition that affects both eyes equally and lasts a lifetime.

DISEASES:

Sickle cell anaemia, diabetes, macular degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, Parkinson's disease, chronic alcoholism and leukaemia are some of the conditions that can cause color impairments. One eye may be more impacted than the other, and if the underlying condition can be cured, the color deficit may improve.

MEDICATIONS:

Some medications, such as those used to treat autoimmune illnesses, cardiac difficulties, high Blood Pressure, erectile dysfunction, infections, Neurological disorders, and psychiatric issues, might affect color vision. Color blindness is a side effect of the medication hydroxychloroquine (plaquenil). It's used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and a variety of the other ailments.

AGING:

As the get older, your capacity to see colors deteriorates.

CHEMICALS:

Loss of color vision can be caused by exposure to certain chemicals in the workplace, such as carbon disulfide and fertilisers.

DIAGNOSIS:

A comprehensive eye examination can be used to diagnose color deficiency. The patient is shown a series of pseudoisochromatic plates, which are specially designed pictures made up of colored dots. After that, the patient is instructed to look for numbers among the various colored dots. Individuals with normal colour vision can see a number, whereas those with a deficiency cannot. Pseudoisochromatic plate testing can detect whether or not a color vision problem exists, as well as the type of problem.

TREATMENT:

There are no treatments for most types of color vision problems, unless the problem is caused by the use of certain medications or by an eye condition. Color vision may improve if you stop taking the medication that is causing your vision problem or treat the underlying disease condition.

Wearing a colored filter over your eye glasses or a colored contact lens will help you see the difference between the confusing colors more clearly.

LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION:

Organizing and labelling clothing, furniture and other colourful objects for easy identification.

Keeping tract of the order of things rather than the color of them. A traffic light, for example, has red on top, Yellow in the middle and green on the bottom.