In the retina of the eyes there are two different types of cells that detect light, rods and cones. The latter are responsible for detecting light and darkness, while cones are responsible for capturing colors.
In color blindness there is an alteration or lack in some type of light-sensitive photoreceptors, that is, cones. This produces an impediment in distinguishing certain colors , generally between green and red and, in other occasions, the blue ones. There are many variants of this pathology, that is why at FastlyHealwe explain everything about color blindness: causes, types and prognosis .
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Causes of this condition
The colorblindness is a congenital condition , ie people who have it are born with it, its origin is solely genetic.
The main cause of color blindness is an inheritance disorder, that is, a defective gene that the mother transmits, mainly, to the male child. It is usually less common in women, since they have an additional gene that could replace the defective one that the mother transfers. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 100 women suffer from this pathology, while in the case of men, 1 in 12 suffers from some degree of color blindness.
Although the majority of people who suffer from color blindness is due to a family history, those who suffer from Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, anemia, alcoholism, leukemia or those who undergo treatments for arthritis with hydroxychloroquine can also develop this pathology.
Types of color blindness
There are different variants of color blindness, so that people who suffer from this pathology do not necessarily see all the same, there are subjects who have it and do not realize it. Four different types of color blindness can be distinguished , depending on the number of cones that fail vision. These are:
- Achromatopsia : it is the most severe type of color blindness since those who suffer from it see only in gray scale and do not perceive any color. It is a condition that, although severe, is not very common.
- Monochrome : In this case, the person with monochrome color blindness sees only one color, as only one cone works correctly.
- Dichromatic : patients have only two defective cones, there are three different types of dichromatic color blindness. Protanopia, who suffers from it is totally insensitive to the color red. Deuteranopia is about green blindness and, finally, tritanopia, in this case there are problems in seeing the color blue.
- Trichomatic : it is the most common type of color blindness, since the person who suffers from it has the three cones of the eye just like anyone but with functional defects, which causes one color to be confused with another.
Color blind prognosis
Color blindness is a lifelong pathology, there is no cure or treatment for it . In any case, you should always visit a specialist doctor, in this case the ophthalmologist, who can prescribe special lenses to help differentiate colors.
On the other hand, color blind people do not have difficulty adapting to daily life and can get used to recognizing colors in different ways. For example, those people with this pathology know that the order of the colors in a traffic light is: red, yellow and green, so they can circulate by car in a normal way. Helping children during the early stages of school and reinforcing the learning of colors is essential to offer them the knowledge and security they need.
In addition, you can consult with the specialist about the best options to facilitate the daily performance of those who suffer from this condition.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Color Blindness: Causes, Types and Prognosis , we recommend that you enter our Eyes and Vision category .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.