Colour Blindness/Deficiency
Colour Blindness is an outdated term, but we use it here for educational purposes. The proper term is Colour Deficiency, as it is more of a shift in the colour spectrum rather than any sort of true blindness. It is a condition that affects the way people perceive colour. People with colour deficiency have difficulty seeing colour or distinguishing between certain colours, such as red and green or, more rarely, blue and yellow. The most common type of inherited colour deficiency is called red-green colour deficiency, which affects approximately 8 percent of men and 0.5 percent of women around the world. The medical term for this type of deficiency is Deutan, and there are varying levels of deficiency, such as mild, moderate, or severe.
Try this great online tool for testing colour deficiency at home. You can print out the results and bring them into your eye exam if you would like further information. There are also colour-enhancing sunglasses that can shift colour spectrums to allow people to perceive the difference between some shades of colours more easily. They are called Enchroma sunglasses. It is important to note that these glasses don’t cure colour deficiency or allow one with a deficiency to perceive colours the same as someone without a deficiency – but it can be quite remarkable for someone to be able to perceive the difference between shades of colours they would never have been able to without the colour filtering sunglasses.
Contact us at Louie Eyecare Centre for a comprehensive eye exam to check for colour deficiency or other vision issues.
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West Edmonton Vision Clinic
Visit our vision clinic in central West Edmonton for comprehensive eye exams, contact lens fittings, glasses, and more. Louie Eyecare Centre is dedicated to providing the highest quality optometric services and products to our patients. Our team of experienced optometrists is here to help you with all of your eye care needs. Schedule an appointment today!
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Monday Closed
Tuesday 9:00-5:00
Wednesday 9:00-5:00
Thursday 9:00-5:00
Friday 9:00-5:00
Saturday 9:00-2:00
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, colourblind glasses can help to change certain shades of colour to allow for the detection of someone with a deficiency. But they don’t cure or remove the deficiency or allow someone to see the way someone without the color deficiency would see. It can be very drastic or mild the change of these types of glasses can work depending on the type and severity of deficiency so it is difficult to make a blanket statement like they work or do not work. They work by filtering out certain colours that a colorblind person has difficulty seeing. This helps them to see the difference between different shades but does not improve detection like someone without deficiency.
Yes, colour blind people can drive. colour blindness is a condition that affects a person’s ability to see colours accurately. It does not affect a person’s ability to see in the dark or to drive.
Yes, girls can be colour blind. Colour blindness is a condition that affects a person’s ability to see colours accurately. It can affect both boys and girls but is much more common in boys than in girls. The genes for color detection are located on the X sex-linked chromosome. A male has an X from the mother and a Y from the father. A female has an X from the father and an X from the mother. The gene for color deficiency is recessive, meaning that if there is one good chromosome and one deficient, the good one will override and provide normal function. Boys have only one X chromosome from the mother, as the Y chromosome would come from the father. So color blindness in males always comes from the mothers side of the family. Girls have an X chromosome from both the father and mother, so they have a chance to have a normal one from each side, so it is much more rare to have a girl with color deficiency. If there is a girl with color deficiency (both X chromosomes are deficient), 100% of her male children would be color deficient.
Yes, colour blindness can be considered a disability because it affects a person’s ability to see colours. This can make it difficult for people with colour blindness to do certain tasks or activities that require accurate colour perception.
There is no cure for colour blindness. However, there are a number of treatments and therapies that can help people manage the condition. For example, some people may need to use special lenses or filters to help them see colours more clearly. Other treatments include colour recognition training, which can help people learn to recognize colours based on their brightness or hue.
Yes, many people experiencing colour blindness can see some colours, but not all. This is because there are different types of colour blindness, and each type affects a person’s ability to see different colours. For example, red-green colour blindness affects the ability to see red and green colours, while blue-yellow colour blindness affects the ability to see blue and yellow colours. Some people with complete colour blindness, however, cannot see any colours at all.
