Understanding Color Blindness & Why Pediatric Eye Exams Matter

Color vision deficiency (CVD), commonly called color blindness, is usually genetic and affects just shy of 4% of the U.S. population. About 1 in every 12 males has some version of color blindness, while only about 1 in 200 women is affected.

While relatively rare, children and parents need to have accurate diagnoses early on to support the children as they enter preschool and kindergarten. This is one reason we encourage scheduling eye exams for children before they enter elementary school.

Color Blindness Is One of the Most Misunderstood Eye Conditions

Color blindness is a misunderstood eye condition. One of the most common misconceptions is that people who are color blind cannot see color at all or that there is only one type of color blindness. Both are false.

For all people with this visual deficiency, specific cone cells, specialized photoreceptors located in the retina, are either malfunctioning or missing. Cone cells support our ability to differentiate colors during daylight hours. They perceive the three primary colors: red, blue, and green. 

If one or more of these types of cells are absent or malfunctioning, a person’s perception of color is distorted.

What Do Color Blind People See?

This is one of the most common questions we get about color blindness. In truth, people with “normal” color vision still see slight variations in colors or shades of color, so there’s no real way to tell exactly what anyone sees. 

However, with color blindness, there are distinct differences in how colors or varying shades of color appear to those with missing or malfunctioning cone cells. If you’re curious about how things look for someone who has color vision deficiency, we recommend visiting Enchroma’s page about What Do Color Blind People See? There, you can see images of what someone with normal vision sees compared to what someone with various types of color blindness sees.

Types Of Color Vision Deficiency (CVD)

There are three main categories of CVD:

Red-Green CVD

Individuals with red-green have difficulty distinguishing between red and green. And, because red/yellow makes orange, this can make it harder to distinguish shades that have more red or green contrasts.

There are different types of red-green CVD:

• Deuteranomaly is the mildest and most common type of color blindness. Depending on the shade of green, green things can appear more like red or burnt orange. This type of color blindness rarely affects a person’s daily activities or hobbies.
• Protanomaly. Another mild form of CVD is that people with red protanomaly may see things appear more green. Like with deuteranomaly, it happens with particular shades of color (red in this case), and it doesn’t typically affect daily activities.
• Protanopia and deuteranopia. If you have protanopia or deuteranopia, you won’t be able to see red or green at all. It will appear more of a grayscale.

Blue-Yellow CVD

Similarly, people with blue-yellow CVD struggle to differentiate between blue and yellow colors. There are two different types of blue-yellow color blindness:

• Tritanomaly. People with tritanomaly struggle to tell the difference between blue and yellow and also struggle to differentiate between red and yellow. 
• Tritanopia. If you have tritanopia, you’ll have a hard time telling the difference between blue and yellow, purple and red, and pink and yellow. The colors you see will be dulled. 

Complete CVD

As the name implies, individuals with Complete CVD don’t see color at all. Their world is in shades of black, white, and gray. This form is very rare. Many people with complete CVD also have extreme light sensitivity or reduced visual acuity.

Causes And Risk Of Being Color Blind

In most cases, people are born with color blindness, which tends to be an inherited trait passed down in families. Also, as we age, we can also develop an age-related version of CVD. Adults 60 years and up are more prone to decreases in visual acuity that affect color perception, and current studies show that color vision begins to change more dramatically after we turn 70.

However, other scenarios can cause various types of CVD later in life. These cases are defined as acquired color vision deficiency. 

You may be at risk for developing acquired CVD if you:

• Develop certain eye diseases, like glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (both of which are more common in seniors), can drastically affect someone’s ability to perceive color as the disease progresses.
• Take medications that can cause CVD as a side effect. Examples include things like certain antibiotics, barbiturates, anti-tuberculosis meds, certain medications that treat nervous system disorders, or high blood pressure medication. Careful medication management, including supervision by your optometrist, is always best when taking any medications that could cause color blindness or other eye or vision health issues.
• Have certain chronic diseases or illnesses. Some diseases and illnesses can cause CVD. Some of the most common examples are retinitis pigmentosa, diabetes, dementia/Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, alcoholism, multiple sclerosis (MS), and sickle cell anemia. As with medications, disease management is essential, and your optometrist (or ophthalmologist) may recommend more frequent eye appointments to keep close tabs on any vision loss.
• Are exposed to environmental toxins known to cause vision loss, including CVD. Examples are carbon monoxide poisoning, lead poisoning, or exposure to carbon disulfide.
• Experience an accident or health episode, such as a traumatic brain injury or stroke.

Many of the causes of acquired color blindness are preventable or positively impacted by a person’s commitment to a healthy diet and lifestyle choices.

Schedule Your Next Eye Exam At Eye to Eye Family Vision Care

The Eye to Eye Family Vision Care Team is dedicated to proactive eye care and treatment for the whole family. Whether it’s time to schedule your child’s first eye exam or you have one or more of the risk factors contributing to CVD, we’re here to provide personalized recommendations to optimize eye and vision health for the rest of your life. Contact us to schedule an appointment or to learn more about a diagnosed condition affecting your vision.