Dr. Joel Kestenbaum is a VSP provider in Long Island, NY
Dr. Kestenbaum is back! Today his guest blog discusses colorblindness …
Color blindness is also known as color vision deficiency. It is a condition in which certain colors cannot be differentiated. It is most commonly an inherited condition, transmitted by the “X” chromosome. About 99 percent of color deficient individuals are red/green colorblind. These people have a hard time distinguishing different hues of reds and greens. About 8% of males and half of 1% of females are red/green colorblind.
Blue/yellow color deficiency is rarely inherited and as far as I am aware, there is no commonly available test for it. Total color blindness, or seeing only shades of gray, is an extremely rare condition.
There is no treatment for color blindness but it can be very frustrating for people affected by it. Think about all things that we do in life that require good color vision: Coordinating your clothes, determining if a traffic light is red, yellow or green (especially in states whose lights are horizontal), coloring with crayons, technical wiring for electricians, telling rare from well-done with meats, seeing if a piece of litmus paper turns red or blue. Commercial pilots must have normal color vision for their job.
Can you see the 2?
Certain diseases can also cause color deficiencies, either temporary or permanent. Cataracts cloud vision and filter light away from the retina. When cataracts are surgically removed, most people will see rejuvenated colors. Macular degeneration causes, in most cases, permanent color vision changes. Diseases like Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease or any diseases that cause optic neuritis (an inflammation of the optic nerve), can cause colors to appear paler.
The good news is that colorblindness is not deadly. Eight to ten percent of us live with it every day and learn to compensate for this minor disability. You can search many websites including here, here, and here for more information on color deficiency.
Happy Holidays to all.
Dr. Joel Kestenbaum
www.optixeyecare.com
