Colour Blindness

Vision disorders are conditions that cause impairment in our sense of vision. These disorders are often caused by certain eye diseases or structural abnormalities of the eye. Abnormal colour vision, also termed as colour blindness, is the inability to differentiate between certain shades of colour. Patients with colour blindness may not be able to recognize the difference between shades of red and green, and shades of blue and yellow.

Colour blindness is an inherited condition, and men are more likely to be affected with this condition. Certain diseases of the eye and medications may also cause abnormal colour vision. The most common symptoms of colour blindness include:

• Difficulty in seeing colours and brightness of colours
• Difficulty in differentiating shades of the same colour
• Side to side movements of the eyes

Colour blindness can go unnoticed as the symptoms are usually mild. However, it can be detected when your child starts learning about colours for the first time. Your ophthalmologist can also diagnose colour blindness with routine eye examinations. Currently, there is no treatment for this condition, except for special contact lenses that can help differentiate between shades.