Is The Color You See, The Actual Color? Color Blindness
by: Eye Contact Guide
Have you ever been shopping in the mall and noticed someone wearing
colors that don’t match in any way, not even in the sense of fashion?
Next time you see this, if you were to ask the person wearing the colors,
chances are they will not be accurate about the color. That person may
not be committing a fashion crime but instead is someone who is color
blind.
A lot of people are unsure what colorblindness really is. When there is a
defect in the cone receptors in the retinas of the eyes, it is called
color blindness. Being unable to see one color, or shades of one colors,
or not being able to see color at all, are all indicators of color
blindness. It is believed that it is a genetic trait and it appears that
more males are affected by color blindness than females.
Almost all people who are colorblind see some color. For someone to see
no color at all is quite rare but not unheard of. Color blindness is a
result of a cone defect, a condition where it’s difficult to distinguish
specific colors. The absence or of color-sensitive cells in the retina is
what causes it. The retina is the nerve layer at the back of the eye that
converts light into nerve signals. Green/red color blindness is the most
common type but there is also yellow/blue in which there is no test to
check for it.
Color problems are with certain color combinations such as yellow on
green, green on red, red on green, blue on red, red on blue, and red on
black are the most common type of problems with those who have color
blindness. The best thing to do if you think you may be color blind is to
take a test. A picture composed of different colored dots is shown during
a color blindness test. The nurse or doctor determines a person may be
color blind based on if a person can't see the picture or number within
the dots. The bad news about color blindness is that it cannot be
treated. Tinted eyeglasses can help some but will not treat
colorblindness.
Article provided courtesy of Eye Contact Guide - a premier resource for
everything eye related including contact lenses, Acuvue contacts and
theatrical contacts.