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Colour Blindness is an outdated term, but we use it here for educational purposes.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.