Trouble seeing traffic lights, matching clothes, or picking out the red M&M’s? You just might be color blind. Color blindness is a trait passed down through genetics. When someone is born without or with incomplete cones in their retina, color blindness symptoms begin to occur. There are three different types of color blindness: protan, deutan, and tritan. The type of color blindness is determined by the incomplete cones and affects which colors are hard to see. Many are diagnosed with color blindness at an early age. Another way someone can become color blind is through deterioration of the cones, usually caused by age, trauma, disease, or drugs. If you have experienced any of these variables and you think you may be color blind, take a look at color blindness symptoms. Here are a few factors to consider for those wondering if they or their child are affected by color blindness. Male vs Female 8% of males are color blind, whereas less than 1% of women are color blind. The gene determining if someone is color blind is found in the X chromosome, and women are generally a carrier. If you are a man, it is much more likely that you are color blind. Mismatching Clothes People may have mentioned that your clothes don’t match. Those who are color blind have a hard time distinguishing the difference between certain colors like red, green, and yellow. It isn’t that they cannot see color, but that these colors generally all look like different shades of yellow. This can make it difficult for that person to choose clothes that match. Asking friends and family if they can help you label clothes can improve the situation. Colored Signs, Posters, or Books Can’t read a poster that has colored lettering on a colored background? We aren’t talking about yellow letters on a light green poster, which is just a poor design. But if you are having a hard time seeing contrasting colors like a Christmas poster with red letters on a green background, then you may be color blind. Everyday Items Did someone recently ask you if you like yellow or red apples better and you didn’t know the difference? People who are color blind tend to have trouble distinguishing colors of everyday items, from car colors to different colored water bottles. Bright Lights Does your vision seem better at night than it does in really bright light? Those who are color blind tend to have heightened smell and night vision. However, bright lights and an excessive amount of colors may cause headaches. Children and Colors For those trying to identify color blindness in a child, children who are color blind may quickly lose interest in coloring pages and may color objects like fruit or the sky unusual colors. What’s Next If You Can Relate to Color Blindness Signs? For those trying to determine if their child is color blind, you can try an easy activity and look for clues. Open up a crayon or color pencil box and mark the different colors down the page. Go down the line of colors with your child and see where they have trouble identifying the colors. Make sure other children aren’t around and that the child doesn’t feel pressured or shamed. Eye doctors have a couple of different tests to determine if someone is color blind. One test includes an array of different colored circles on a poster which make up an image. Those who are color blind are not able to see the image. There are different treatments and coping mechanisms for color blindness, including special glasses and contacts that can help aid in color distinction. If you or a child are struggling with distinguishing different colors, meet with a local eye doctor near you and schedule an eye exam.
