In the world there is a great variety of colors, tones and shades that the eyes are prepared to perceive. However, some people do not have the ability to distinguish them or confuse them, so they suffer from what we call color blindness or color blindness, a chronic condition, usually hereditary, with which you can live without inconvenience.
Causes of color blindness
The macula (central area of the retina) is composed of cone-shaped cells that are sensitive to green, blue and red light waves or combinations of these colors. When one of these “cones” does not work properly, the person may confuse colors, not distinguish shades of a color or not perceive one of the basic colors.
As explained above, this condition usually has a genetic origin, although it may also be due to other factors such as age, side effects of medication, eye injuries or vision problems (glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration).
Symptoms of color blindness
The most common symptom of color blindness is confusing green and red (which are perceived as the same color), followed by confusing yellow with blue. Occasionally, although very rare, the person may see in black and white.
Color blind people can lead a satisfying and active life, although some tasks may be more difficult for them than for others, such as knowing whether the traffic light is red or green, whether a tomato or watermelon is ripe, choosing a color of paint to buy clothes or paint a wall, etc.
Treatment of color blindness
If the color blindness is from birth or inherited, it cannot be solved, but, as an alternative treatment, the person can be trained to substitute the information transmitted by colors for other signals, such as knowing that the traffic light is green not because of the color, but because the third light is the one that is on.
On the other hand, if the condition has developed due to one of the above-mentioned causes, in principle it has a solution if the origin is treated, such as cataract surgery or glasses or contact lenses with crystals that counteract glare.
In case of any suspicion, it is important to see a specialist in Ophthalmology to detect the condition as soon as possible and thus re-educate to overcome the limitations and lead a normal and satisfactory life.