Name of the medical condition and other names that it’s been known by

• Color Blindness

• Color Vision Deficiency (CVD)

 

What is Color Vision Deficiency (CVD)?

Color Vision Deficiency (CVD), often called color blindness, is when someone can't see specific colors like most people do.

 

Special parts in the back of the eye called cones pick up red, blue, or green light. People with CVD are missing some or all of these cones. If just one cone is missing, it might be hard to tell the difference between red and green or between blue and yellow.

 

The worst form of CVD is achromatopsia, in which a person can't see any color at all, and everything looks like shades of gray. The vision in people with achromatopsia is also blurry.

 

Most people with CVD inherit it from their parents. It's more common in males than females. Sometimes, CVD can develop later due to eye diseases, injuries, or as a side effect of certain medicines.

 

Living with CVD can make tasks like picking ripe fruits, reading color-coded information, or matching clothes challenging. While there's no cure for inherited CVD, special glasses and contact lenses can help some people see color differences more clearly.

 

Different Types of CVD

Red-green color vision deficiency

This is the most common type. It makes it hard to tell the difference between red and green.

 

There are four types:

• Deuteranomaly: Makes certain shades of green look more red.

• Protanomaly: It makes certain shades of red look greener and less bright.

• Protanopia and deuteranopia: Both make someone unable to distinguish between red and green.

 

Blue-yellow color vision deficiency

This type makes it hard to tell the difference between several different color combinations:

 

There are two types:

• Tritanomaly: It makes it hard to distinguish between blue and green, and yellow and red.

• Tritanopia: Makes someone unable to tell the difference between blue and green, purple and red, and yellow and pink. It also makes colors look less bright.

 

Complete color vision deficiency

This is rare and is also called monochromacy or achromatopsia.

People with this type can't see colors at all.

 

How is it diagnosed?

• Ishihara Colorblindness Test: This test uses plates with colored dots in patterns. Numbers or shapes are hidden in these patterns. People with CVD might see different numbers or no numbers compared to those with normal color vision.

• Anomaloscope Examination: This device measures how well a person can match different colors to diagnose red-green color blindness.

• Hue Test: You arrange blocks of different colors in rainbow order. If you have trouble, you might have a type of CVD.

 

How is it treated?

• There is no cure for Inherited CVD:

• Glasses and Contacts: Special eyeglasses or contact lenses can help people with CVD tell the difference between colors by increasing the contrast between colors.

• Gene Therapy: Ongoing trials for achromatopsia aim to improve vision, but it's not yet widely available.

• Visual Aids: Some apps and devices help people with CVD interpret colors better.

 

Trend

• Number of people in the US that have it: About 1 in 12 boys and 1 in 200 girls have some form of CVD.

• Number of people that have had it in the last five years: Since CVD is primarily genetic, the number of people affected remains relatively stable.

• Five-year projection: The prevalence of CVD is expected to remain consistent, with no significant changes anticipated.

 

History

John Dalton, who was colorblind, published the first scientific account of color blindness in 1798. His paper describing his vision deficiency brought attention to the condition.

 

Over time, researchers developed various tests, like the Ishihara plates in the early 20th century, to diagnose CVD. Advancements in genetics have since deepened our understanding of inherited color vision deficiencies.

 

Today, while there's no cure for genetic CVD, tools like specially designed glasses and digital apps assist those affected in distinguishing colors more effectively.

 

Source of Information

• American Academy of Ophthalmology 

• American Optometric Association

• Mayo Clinic

• National Eye Institute

 

For informational purposes only. Consult a medical professional for advice.