A person’s ability to see, experience, and interact with the world around them is one of the most important parts of the human experience. To be able to see the wonders of the world, enjoy nature and make memories is what defines us. In this pursuit sometimes, we get disadvantaged by conditions that may not be painful or harmful but can be unnerving and inconvenient while moving through daily life. Colour blindness is one such condition, which can cause a person to grow apart from their immediate environment as they are unable to experience colours the same way a person with normal vision would.
If you have ever felt a disconnect with the way your peers and friends describe colour or have had trouble with regular activities like checking the ripeness of fruits, telling the difference between two colours, getting sunburnt and not noticing it, you might want to go for a colour blind test. While it’s not harmful if it occurs independently of any underlying conditions, it can be inconvenient while navigating life and different activities daily. While not entirely treatable, colour blindness can be reduced to a certain extent. To find out how a colour blind test works and if you need one, let us take a closer look at some basics.
Colour Blindness: The Basics
Colour blindness can be defined as a distinct inability to tell different colours apart, most commonly shades of red and green. More common in men than women, colour blindness can be caused by a variety of factors. It can be a result of ageing, a reaction to a medication, an underlying eye condition, or chemical exposure. In most cases, however, it has been defined as a genetic condition, where people who carry the conditions are most likely to pass it down to their children.
The lack of colour sensitivity in colour blind people is a failure within the colour photo-receptors or cones within the retina. Going for a colour blind test can help determine if there indeed is a problem within the retina. It is important to note that in some cases colour blindness can be caused by an underlying eye condition that affects the optic nerve such as Glaucoma. In such a case, your colour sensitivity may return once your underlying condition is duly treated.
Do You Need a Colour Blind Test?
If you frequently find quite a difference between your colour perceptions with those around you, you might want to go for a colour blind test. If you have especially noticed a troubling inability to differentiate two colours from one another, a colour vision test may be the answer to your perception anxieties. Keep an eye out for the following symptoms which might mean it’s time to schedule an appointment for a colour blind test:
Bright Light Sensitivity
Headaches or Eyestrain when focussing on red on green backgrounds and vice-versa
Trouble focussing on coloured pages
Difficulty telling shades of red and green apart
What is a Colour Blind Test?
A colour blind test, unlike other tests, does not require any prior preparation on the patient’s end. The ophthalmologist will administer the test with the help of test cards. The cards contain a circular cluster of multi-coloured dots, at the centre of these dots, are numbers or symbols which are also dots but in a different colour. This is called the Ishihara Test. If you can identify the contrasting colours and tell the doctor the number or symbol you see, you have normal colour vision.
If there is difficulty in being able to see a number or symbol within the multi-coloured dots, you might have colour blindness. Next, the doctor will administer the colour vision test alternating between the two eyes and ask about any perceived difference in colour intensity between the two eyes. Once the colour blind test is over, the doctor may diagnose any difficulty in colour perception as any of the following:
Deuteranopia: Difficulty in identifying between shades of Red from Purple and Green from Purple
Deuteranomaly: Most common type, shades of Green and Yellow appear Red.
Protanopia: Difficulty in identifying between shades of Blue from Green and Red from Green
Tritanopia: Difficulty in identifying between shades of Yellow from Green and Blue from Green
Achromatopsia: Complete colour blindness, vision only in shades of Grey
A colour blind test is, therefore, imperative in helping you determine if you have any lapses in your colour perception abilities. The test is simple and can even be done at home, and one can treat it to some extent with the help of filtered eyeglasses. Titan Eye+ offers a range of eyeglasses that can be customized as per your prescription and design preferences, so head over to your nearest store for great prices and an endless range of trendy eyewear.