Color blindness in adults
Color blindness is a serious disease. A person suffering from it has difficulty distinguishing colors or sees some of them as gray. We will tell you what kind of disease, we will give tests by which you can determine if you have any deviations. An ophthalmologist will answer popular questions

What is colorblindness

Color blindness is an ophthalmic disease when the patient’s perception of colors is disturbed. A healthy person easily distinguishes and perceives green, red, purple and blue colors. But a color-blind person sees other shades in them. This suggests that the patient has visual aberrations when the retina does not perceive colors.

– Color blindness is not only when people do not see a certain color, for example, red. Color-blind people often lack red, green, less often blue. But they either completely do not see these colors, or do not perceive shades – they can confuse, for example, pink and purple colors. Also, a person with color blindness can see some colors as gray, – says ophthalmologist Alsu Ikhsanova.

According to the specialist, the disease can be congenital and acquired. During a person’s life, color blindness may appear due to eye diseases, the flu (color blindness in this case will go as a complication), neurological problems and nervous breakdowns, head injuries, having experienced a stroke or heart attack.

Signs of color blindness in adults

The most important symptom and sign of color blindness is an incorrect perception of color. By the way, the disease does not affect the quality of vision at all. A colorblind person may not see certain colors or confuse shades, but at the same time his vision will be good.

Types of color blindness in adults

There are several types of color blindness, we will analyze them below.

  • Protanopia or, in other words, color blindness of the first kind is when the patient is not able to distinguish green from red.
  • To color blindness of the second type or deuteranopia include those who cannot distinguish shades of green from blue and its shades.
  • Color blindness of the third kind or tritanopia – this is when a person is not able to distinguish between blue and yellow.

There are also dichromatic people. These are the people who recognize only two colors, mostly red and blue. Their eyes do not perceive green. By the way, this type is the most common.

There are also people who suffer from achromatopsia. This pathology is very rare. These people cannot distinguish all colors at all. Unfortunately, with her, a person sees the world only in black and white.

Color blindness test for adults

– You can completely determine which color a person confuses or does not see, using a special table – the Ryabkin table. There is also a special program – a site on the Internet with a test, or you can install an application on your phone in which you can check if there are any violations, – the specialist continues.

So, in order for the test to give you the most accurate results, you must follow the rules below:

  • the test should only be taken in good daylight;
  • no need to sit close to the monitor – maintain a distance of at least 1 m;
  • your body should be relaxed – you don’t need to look at the pictures of the test intensely;
  • take your time, study each picture for at least 5 – 7 seconds;
  • write down your results or memorize them so you can compare your answer with the correct one later.

Test 1

Reply. Do you see the number 99 in the image? Wonderful. This means that you have no deviations from the norm. If you could not make out two nines in the picture, it is likely that you have color blindness.

Test 2

Reply. Did you see the number 98, which is highlighted in blue in the image? Wonderful. There are no reasons for concern. But if you have only a mosaic in front of you, and there are no numbers on it close, there is reason for excitement. It’s better to see a doctor.

Test 3

Reply. In this picture, they mostly linger longer than usual. It is understandable – there are a huge number of colors on it, which even people with good eyesight and without deviations find it difficult to answer. If you still found the number 9, great. If you have problems with color perception, you are unlikely to find it.

Test 4

Reply. In this picture, the two-digit number 96 is easily found by people without deviations, as well as protanopes. But the deuteranopes, those who do not distinguish the green color, will find only 6 here.

Test 5

Reply. Yes, if you are good with perception, you are not mistaken. You really see the number five here. And if you barely distinguished it or did not see it at all, you are a protanop or a deuteranop.

Popular questions and answers

Answered questions about color blindness ophthalmologist Alsou Ikhsanova.

How does a person with color blindness see?

When perception is disturbed, a person either does not see color at all, or can see gray or another. For example, red is green.

Can color blindness be passed down through the genes?

Yes, color blindness is inherited, more often manifested in boys. In girls, it will manifest itself mainly only if both mom and dad have color blindness.

What should I do if I notice a violation of color perception?

If you notice a violation of color perception, you can take a color perception test (Ryabkin table). If there are any deviations, if it became difficult to navigate at night, you should immediately consult an ophthalmologist.

How to choose special glasses for colorblind people?

Special glasses for color-blind people look no different from sunglasses. They are usually painted in different colors. These glasses help with all types of color blindness. If, for example, blue, green or red are missing, these glasses will not help. If there is a violation of shades, then such glasses will be very useful.

The disadvantage of such glasses is that they can only be used during the day, when it is light, and only on the street. In the dark, when working at a computer, gadgets, they will not help. Glasses are not suitable for everyone either – it already depends on the form of color blindness, on how many colors a person sees. These glasses improve the contrast of colors – they have a special filter that does not pass a certain wavelength. Due to this, a person sees more contrast than without them.

It should be noted that the glasses are not medical. They are only corrective. That is, put it on – the contrast appeared, took it off – disappeared. When buying, you must consult an ophthalmologist.

Is it true that color blindness can appear due to strong inflammatory processes?

No. Color blindness occurs more due to a genetic predisposition, or due to any metabolic disorders. For example, with cataracts, glaucoma, due to dystrophy of the retina, optic nerve head, with atrophy of the optic nerve head. It also occurs in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease. With color blindness, there is a violation in the brain, or dystrophic processes occur in the retina itself – certain cells die, and perception is impaired.

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