When there is a problem with the perception of colors through vision in a person, it could be a sign of color blindness. Although some cases of this disease have to do with other problems that affect vision. Therefore, today we will talk about what is color blindness, what are its causes and how is its treatment.
What is color blindness about?
As already mentioned at the beginning, color blindness has to do with the difference that exists when perceiving colors. Due to this, said disease is not related to blindness problems. So, when suffering from color blindness, the patient has trouble differentiating certain colors, such as between yellow and blue, or between green and red.
Visual deficiency in color perception, simply called color blindness, is a hereditary disease that commonly affects men. And although women can also suffer from color blindness, it is not as common as in the case of men. Some medical organizations have determined that 8% of men are affected by color blindness. While in women this is a percentage of 1%.
One of the most common ways color blindness develops is difficulty perceiving the colors green and red. Less frequently, patients develop traits that prevent them from identifying yellow and blue. Relative deficiencies between yellow and blue, generally affect both men and women equally.
Color blindness is rather the existence of an anomaly, in one of the cells that are in charge of being the photoreceptors in the eyes. Which are called cones and rods. They work in a combined way, and are connected to the brain centers through the optic nerve. If any of these cells have defects, an image with the required pigments will not be produced. Thus causing the development of color blindness.
What are the causes of color blindness?
When there are certain inconsistencies in the color receptor cells, color blindness develops, and this problem occurs inside the retina. Where there is no appropriate response to light waves, allowing a person to perceive a diversity of colors.
There are approximately 100 million rods within the human retina, which have increased sensitivity to light, but do not perceive color. Instead, there are up to 7 million cones that are inside the eyes, and these are the cells that perceive the color of things. Found in the center of the retina, and receive the name of macula.
Said macula has a central part known as the fovea, and it is the one that contains a large concentration of cone cells within the retina.
Among the most important causes of color blindness is genetic inheritance. Related to the deficiencies that exist in certain cone cells, or the absence of these. However, apart from the genetic makeup, there are also other causes of this disease:
Medicines
Although it may seem a bit strange, one of the causes of color blindness is the intake of certain medications. Since, there are some that generate distortions in the perception of colors through vision. Certain antipsychotics, such as thioridazine and chlorpromazine, may cause color blindness.
Similarly, antibiotics such as ethambutol, used as a treatment for tuberculosis, can cause changes in color vision. Adverse effects such as these should be considered by the specialist, before prescribing said medication.
Drugs for epilepsy such as tiagabine, are capable of reducing color vision by up to 41%. However, some specialists affirm that these effects do not occur permanently.
Conditions
Another of the most common causes of color blindness is the presence of cataracts. Diseases like this discolor the perception of colors, causing them to appear less bright.
Having Parkinson’s disease could cause color blindness. It is a neurological disorder, which also affects color receptor cells. Causing damage to them, leaving them unable to function properly.
Likewise, suffering from kallma syndrome could cause the appearance of color blindness. This condition causes failures in the functioning of the pituitary gland. Leading patients to an unusual development in the genre. Where color blindness could be part of the symptoms that manifest in the disorder.
Other causes of color blindness
The appearance of color blindness could also be related to the signs of aging, since there is damage to the cells that are inside the retina. Injuries or damage to the brain, especially in the areas that have to do with vision, are another cause of color blindness.
On the other hand, prolonged exposure to highly toxic chemicals, such as styrene, could cause this disease. Since, it is related to losing the ability to distinguish colors.
Symptoms or consequences of color blindness
The consequences of color blindness or the characteristic symptoms of this disease have to do exclusively with the way in which colors are perceived. Contrary to what some people think, it is rare for a patient with color blindness to see only gray scales.
Mostly, people who have been diagnosed with color blindness observe colors, but some of them are discolored or confused with others. However, this has to do with the kind of visual impairment that the person has.
If at any time you notice any abnormality in color perception, or it is different from what it was before, it will be necessary to contact a specialist. Losing color vision, or having a defect in the retina, could be a sign of another health problem.
Types of color blindness
Taking into account the genetic origin, color blindness could be classified as acquired or hereditary. However, this disease is also classified, taking into account the ability to perceive certain colors.
Achromatic
This is one of the most serious cases of color blindness. Where people who suffer from it can only see in black and white, along with gray scales. It occurs because the patient does not have cones inside his retina, or has significant neurological damage. Of all the types of color blindness, this is the rarest, since only 1 case develops in 100,000 people.
Dichromancy
It is a kind of color blindness that is between the moderate classification, and where one of the existing types of light is not perceived. And within this type there are three modalities:
Protanopia: There is a total absence in the photoreceptors that perceive the color red. Causing deficiencies in perception, with wavelengths that are too long. When observing the color red, affected people perceive it as gray or as a cream color.
Deuteranopia: The absent photoreceptors are those that are in charge of perceiving the green color, where the wavelength is medium, and it is the least severe form.
Tritanopia: Within the classifications of color blindness, this is the rarest type of all, and where there is a total absence of blue color receptors. Then, the difficulty arises for short wavelengths, and yellow is perceived as if it were pink.
monochrome
Also called extreme or total color blindness, the vision is also in black and white, with certain ranges of gray. A case like this does have cones within the retina, but two of the pigments that need to be in these cells are absent. The number of those affected with this disease is very small.
anomalous trichromy
Those who are affected by this kind of color blindness have defective retinal cones, causing color confusion. This being the most common color blindness classification and also has several modalities:
Protanomaly: problems differentiating the color red.
Deuteranomaly: difficulties in the perception of the color green.
Tritanomaly: abnormality for the observation of the blue color.
color blindness treatment
Currently, no treatment for color blindness has been discovered in case it is hereditary. However, there are some strategies that help the patient to have a better orientation of the colors. For the most part, color blindness patients adapt without problems to deficiencies in seeing certain colors.
There are also glasses with color filters, or special contact lenses for patients with this disease. However, these are not a cure for color blindness, but help to identify colors much better and improve their vision.
Memory techniques in the order of the colors of the traffic lights, or marking objects with the color that is not perceived, is also another way of coping with the disease.
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