Colour Blindness | Treatments, Types and Causes

Colour Blindness, a condition that can significantly impact daily life, makes it challenging for individuals to distinguish specific colours in standard light conditions. This is due to the malfunctioning of cones, specific nerve cells in the eye’s retina, which are responsible for collecting light and images and transmitting these signals to the brain for colour sensing.

Did you know that India carries the most significant number of people with colour blindness, with an account of 70 million people? In India, 8.7% of males and 1.6% of females have colour blindness, and most men are affected by this deficiency.

Types of Colour Blindness

Colour blindness is primarily congenital but can also occur due to interfamily marriage. The average person’s colour vision is trichromatic, as three cone types are present to sense the primary three colours: red, green, and blue. The red-sensing cones see the long wavelength, which is around 560 nanometers; the green-sensing wavelength cones see the medium wavelength, which is around 530 nanometers; and the blue-sensing cones see the short wavelength, which is around 420 nanometers.

When only two cones are present, and the functionality of the third cone is lost, the condition is called dichromatic. So, based on which cone cell is missing, the type of colour blindness is categorised. Generally, there are three types of colour blindness;

Red-green colour blindness

Disability in red cone or green cone pigment perception can cause red-green colour blindness. This type of colour blindness is common and generally seen higher in males than females. Even though it is inherited, sometimes age-related ailments, eye disease, or medications can cause it. This condition can make someone mistake purple, blue, green, orange, and red colours.

This condition is further classified into three types,

Deuteranomaly

It is a mild form of colour blindness where the green and yellow seem red because of an unusual green cone pigment, and it is also tricky to sense purple and blue colours.

Protanomaly

The irregular red cone pigment can make red, orange and yellow look green.

Protanopia and Deuteranopia

The inefficiency of distinguishing the red and green colours is called protanopia and deuteranopia. When the red cone cells are absent, the person sees black for red and yellow for certain shades of orange and green. This condition is called protanopia. When the green cone cells are not available, instead of green, the person sees dark yellow and instead of red, they see yellow-brown.

Blue-yellow colour blindness

This type of colour blindness is rare and can happen to both males and females. People with blue-yellow blindness find it hard to differentiate between blue-green and yellow-red. This condition is called tritanopia dichromatism, and it occurs when only two distinct cone types are present to distinguish colours. Differentiating yellow from red and blue from green will be challenging because of the inadequately functioning blue cone cells. It is further classified into tritanomaly, where patients read blue as green and have trouble distinguishing pink, yellow, red, and orange, and tritanopia, where patients don’t have blue cones.

Full-colour blindness

This is a rare type of colour blindness in which the patient can’t see any colour patterns; instead, they can see only grey, black and white hues. This condition is called monochromacy or achromatopsia. This severe colour vision deficiency happens when there is no cone or only one type of cone photopigment.

Consult an experienced eye doctor to determine whether you have certain conditions or if your ability to distinguish between colours worsens daily. Calwin Hospitals has knowledgeable eye specialists offering colour blindness treatment in Nagercoil with ultimate care and support.

Symptoms of Colour Blindness

Most people with colour blindness show only mild symptoms, which differ from person to person. They can have trouble identifying colours and shades and problems with the brightness of specific colours. It usually happens with red-green and blue-yellow colour patterns. If a child has colour blindness, the parents can identify only when the child learns to associate colours. It doesn’t affect the focus of the vision.

Causes of Colour Blindness

Colour blindness can occur due to genetics or later in life due to several factors. In the case of hereditary, the X-chromosomes passed down to the offspring from the mother will decide the occurrence of colour blindness. The male child can have colour blindness if he receives an X-chromosome with red-green colour blindness from the mother as a carrier. The female child can have colour blindness only if both parents carry the deficiency.

Besides hereditary, acquired colour blindness called blue-yellow colour deficiency can occur due to several factors, such as ageing, glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis, diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, and drug usage. Other factors like prolonged exposure to harmful chemicals, lights, and certain medications can cause acquired colour blindness.

Colour Blindness Treatment in Nagercoil

Several tests are available for diagnosing colour blindness. One standard test is the Ishihara test, which identifies red-green deficiencies. The palate contains several dots in specific colours, and numbers are embedded in different colours in those dots. Patients with colour vision deficiency can’t identify the numbers present inside them. The Hardy, Rand, and Rittler (HRR) test also identifies blue-yellow colour vision deficiency.

The D-15 test is another test with coloured discs, and patients have to arrange them in the proper order. People with colour vision deficiency will find it hard to do so. Children with difficulties reading colours should take colourblind testing before starting school.
Colour blindness has no treatment if it is passed down hereditarily. People adjust to their condition. If it is acquired colour blindness caused by some medications, visiting an ophthalmologist to treat it is required. For patients with mild conditions of anomalous trichromacy, eye specialists may recommend special glasses designed for red-green colour blindness. These glasses enhance the vibrance of specific colours. However, these glasses will not cure the condition or give normal-colour visuals.

In Nagercoil, colour blindness treatment costs around Rs. 1 lakhs, but it varies from patient to patient. Calwin Hospitals, one of the best eye hospitals in Nagercoil, provides colour blindness treatment at an affordable cost. Our optometrist can help you manage colour blindness and advise you on special lenses or software. Our eye specialists are experienced, skilled, and kind to each patient, providing outstanding eye treatments for various ailments.

Conclusion

Colour Blindness is not rare in India, but detecting the deficiency is essential to treat it in its initial stage. Colour blindness affects a person at his job and everyday life in specific ways, and if left unnoticed, it will be hard to cure. At Calwin Hospitals, one of the leading eye hospitals in Nagercoil, we have two decades of experience and the best diagnostic lab to provide prompt and accurate diagnosis and timely treatment for all eye issues. We provide paediatric eye care and pay attention to juvenile glaucoma, dry eyes, double vision, amblyopia, astigmatism, and genetic eye diseases. Our treatments include retinal surgery, adult neuro-ophthalmology, strabismus surgery, computer vision syndrome, oculoplastic surgery and more for an active life. Contact our knowledgeable eye specialist in Nagercoil to detect all eye issues early.