One in every 12 men and one in every 200 women has some degree of color blindness, also called color vision deficiency. The condition is not actual blindness, but rather an inability or decreased ability to see color and perceive differences in color. Color vision deficiency can be a partial or total deficiency, although total color blindness is not as common.
What Are the Types of Color Blindness?
There are two main types of color blindness:
- Red-green – which is the most common type of color blindness, and is often inherited from the mother’s side on the X chromosome
- Blue-yellow – which is rarer, and usually occurs from damage to the optic nerve or retina
In both of these types, the two colors are confused, as both are seen as grey-brown instead of the true colors. Color blindness can also result from disease, brain injury, and certain drug reactions.
What Are Color-Blind Glasses?
Color-blind glasses are eyeglasses with lenses that have special filters that may help a person with color blindness see specific colors more accurately.
They are made with certain materials to absorb and filter out some of the wavelengths between the green and red colors that confuse the brain. When wearing the glasses, some of the light coming through is blocked so that the remaining red and green light wavelengths don’t overlap as much. With less color overlap, the brain gets a clearer signal to help distinguish between the colors.
While there is no cure for color-blindness, color-blind glasses may give people who are color-blind an opportunity to see the world more accurately and experience a greater spectrum of colors while wearing the glasses. The positive effects of the glasses only last as long as they are being worn.
Color-blind glasses can improve the quality of life for people who experience color deficiency and provide a deeper vibrancy and greater array of color schemes.
Because each type of color blindness is unique, the effectiveness of color-blind glasses varies from patient to patient. Most of the color blind glasses available are designed to correct mild red-green color-blindness, leaving fewer options for those who experience severe red-green color blindness, or the blue-yellow type of the condition.
Contact LOCATION to learn more about color-blind glasses so you can experience the world in a more colorful way.
At EYEcenter Optometric, we put your family's needs first. Talk to us about how we can help you maintain healthy vision. Call us today: 916-727-6518 or book an appointment online to see one of our Citrus Heights eye doctors.
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