Color BlindnessTypes, Causes, & Treatment Options
Color blindness is the inability to distinguish certain colors. In severe cases of true color blindness, people experience the world as black and white without any color at all. However, most people with this condition only have trouble distinguishing specific colors, such as red and green. The more accurate term for color blindness is color vision deficiency. Some are born with the condition, while others develop it later in life due to illness or age.
What Causes Color Blindness?
There are two main causes of color blindness. One is genetics, and the other is certain ocular and chronic diseases or illnesses that affect the optic nerve or retina. In some cases, injuries and aging processes can also play a role.
Genetic Color Blindness
Color blindness is usually an inherited genetic condition caused by faulty development of the neural retinal cones—cells responsible for perceiving color—and their ability to transmit information to the optic nerve. Eye color does not affect color blindness, as the condition is linked to the function of retinal cells, not pigmentation of the iris.
Roughly 8% of white males are born with some form of color blindness, while less than 1% of females have color vision deficiency. Women are generally only carriers of the most common color deficiency gene, which is an X-linked recessive gene passed from a mother to her child. Because men only have one X chromosome, they are more susceptible—women need to inherit two X chromosomes with the gene to develop color blindness. Inherited color vision deficiency does not lead to additional vision loss or blindness.
Ocular and Chronic Diseases That Can Cause Color Blindness
Some ocular diseases can cause deficits in color vision. These eye diseases include:
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
- Macular degeneration
Chronic diseases that may reduce color vision include:
- Diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis
- Alzheimer’s
- Parkinson’s
- Leukemia
- Sickle cell anemia
- Chronic alcoholism
- Liver disease
Other Reasons for Color Blindness
In addition to genetics and disease, there are other, less common reasons you can go color blind:
- Serious Eye Injuries: Damage to the eyes can lead to color blindness or complete loss of vision. Always take precautions to prevent eye injuries by wearing proper eye protection in situations with a risk of eye injury.
- Chemical Exposure: Carbon monoxide, carbon disulfide, styrene, and chemicals containing lead can cause color blindness. Protect your eyes from chemical exposure with eye safety goggles.
- Stroke or Severe Head Trauma: These injuries can damage areas of the brain and eyes, resulting in loss of color vision.
- Aging: Color vision can gradually decrease with age, especially in people over 60 years of age. However, the color vision loss is typically minor.
To prevent the more rare causes of acquired color blindness, always follow eye safety practices, protect your eyes from injury and sun damage, and avoid bad habits that could impact your eye health.
Types of Color Blindness
There are several types of color blindness, each affecting how people perceive the world. Let’s take a look at the most common ones.
Red-Green Color Blindness
The most prevalent of all types of color blindness, red-green color blindness primarily affects men—about 1 in 12. Women, on the other hand, are much less likely to be affected. This type of color blindness is usually genetic.
People with red-green color blindness either lack or have defects in their eyes’ red or green cones—the light-sensitive cells that allow us to perceive different parts of the color spectrum. This results in an impaired ability to distinguish these colors.
Daily activities like reading traffic lights or picking out ripe produce can be challenging for those with red-green color deficiency.
Blue-Yellow Color Blindness
Though less common than red-green color blindness, blue-yellow color blindness affects men and women equally because it’s not carried on a sex chromosome. While sometimes inherited, this condition can also develop later in life due to certain illnesses or medications.
People with this type of color blindness have defects in their blue cones, which makes it difficult to distinguish between blue and green or yellow and red.
Complete Color Blindness (Achromatopsia)
One of the rarest types of color blindness is complete color blindness, where individuals see the world in shades of gray. Fewer than 1 in 30,000 people have this condition, which is usually inherited but can also be caused by serious damage to the retina.
In complete color blindness, none of the color-sensing cones work properly, resulting in a lack of color perception. Those with achromatopsia may also experience light sensitivity and poor vision.
Color Blindness Symptoms and Signs
Wondering if you might be color blind? Unless you work in a job that requires perfect color vision—like a pilot, electrician, or graphic designer—you might not experience enough impact on your daily life to notice the signs of color blindness. The symptoms can be subtle, and many people go years without realizing they have it! Here are some signs to watch for:
Trouble Distinguishing Colors
The most common symptom of color blindness is difficulty telling certain colors apart. For example, you might mix up red and green or blue and green. If you’ve ever been told your green shirt is red or vice versa, that might be a clue. You might detect the condition in a coloring book for a child. They may color objects in abnormal colors—for example, coloring an apple purple or the sky yellow.
Difficulty Seeing Shades
Another common symptom is struggling to see different shades of the same color. For example, two shades of red that look completely different to others may seem identical to someone with color blindness. Matching clothes or choosing colors for home décor can become tricky.
Seeing in Dull Colors or Shades of Gray
In rare cases, people with complete color blindness (achromatopsia) see everything in black, white, and shades of gray. They may also experience light sensitivity and have poor vision overall.
More commonly, people with color blindness will perceive part of the color spectrum as dull or muddy. For example, they might identify a bright, vibrant color like red as brown, black, or gray.
Color Blindness Diagnosis
The surest way to determine whether you’re color blind is to have your color vision checked during an eye exam.
During a color blind test, patients are shown a series of pseudoisochromatic plates—pictures made up of colored dots. These images contain numbers or figures that are easily visible to those with normal color vision but difficult or impossible to identify for those with color blindness. Most patients who have difficulty with the color vision test are unable to differentiate between shades of red and green.
Learning materials for children often rely heavily on color perception. For this reason, early detection of color vision deficiency through a color blind test is critical. Accommodations can be made for children with a color blindness diagnosis during the critical phases of learning. If you haven’t had your child’s vision tested yet, learn how to prepare your child for their first eye exam.
Color Blindness Treatment
Treating the disease or eye injury responsible for the loss of color vision may help improve acquired color blindness. While there is no cure for inherited color deficiency, there are a few color blindness treatment options and ways for coping with the condition.
What Are Color Blind Glasses?
One common aid for people with color blindness is color blind glasses. These are specially designed glasses with tinted lenses that enhance the ability to distinguish colors. Some people find them helpful for certain tasks, though they don’t work for everyone. They’re more likely to be effective for those with mild to moderate color vision deficiency.
Do Color Blind Contacts Work?
Similar to color blind glasses, tinted contact lenses can help some individuals differentiate between colors, though their effectiveness varies from person to person. If you prefer contacts to glasses, they could be worth trying.
Other Strategies for Living with Color Blindness
There are other strategies you can use to navigate color blindness in daily life, too. Labeling clothes with the help of family or friends makes matching colors easier. Learning to identify objects based on order rather than color—like knowing red is at the top of a traffic light—can also help you navigate color vision challenges.
While there are challenges that result from color vision deficiency, most people, especially those with inherited color blindness, can adapt to the condition. Knowing if you or a loved one is color deficient is vital in determining the treatment or strategies needed for improved quality of vision and life.
Protect Your Vision with a Comprehensive Eye Exam at Visionworks
Don’t let color blindness or other vision issues go undetected. Stop by Visionworks for a comprehensive eye exam at one of our many convenient locations. Our expert team is here to help you see your best. Schedule your appointment today and take the first step toward clearer vision!
Related Articles
Information received through Visionworks® content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your eye doctor, physician, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Claims regarding blue light efficiency are supported by manufacturer-provided test results.
