What is Red-green color blindness?
Red-green color blindness is the most common type of color deficiency you will find. This condition is also known as deuteranopia, and in most cases, it is a congenital condition. Meaning it is inherited from birth, and there are few treatments available online to cure this disease.
When you have this type of color deficiency, you will get confused between colors such as green, red and yellow. However, getting aware of this kind of condition is not easy unless someone points it out to you or a doctor detects it.
When someone has normal vision, they can see the combination of red, blue, and green in their original form. This is also known as Trichromatism, where a person can see 10 million variations of these three colors.
But it is difficult to see these combinations when someone has a color deficiency. Another red-green defect is called Protanopia. Both Protanopia and deuteranopia are caused due to recessive genes in the X-chromosome.
Cause of red-green color vision deficiency
When you can see colors, it depends on three genes: OPN1LW, OPN1MW, and OPN1SW. These genes are responsible for us to see different color combinations. Also, they contribute to the retina's light receptor cells located in the back of the eye. Light receptors have two parts, cones and rods that transmit signals to the brain that help produce vision.
The following could be the two causes of red-green color deficiency:
Due to Medical Conditions
Acquired reasons are when you get them because of some medical conditions.
The issues with the optic nerve can be the cause of various eye
conditions, including color blindness. If your eyes consistently get exposed to chemical solvents, such as fertilizers, there is a higher chance of color
blindness. Other than that, medications for mental health disorders, autoimmune diseases, or high blood pressure can also lead to severe issues.
Due to Genetics
Red-green color blindness generally happens due to genetic mutations. Color deficiency occurs when there are genetic deficiencies in the short, medium, and long wavelength. However, red-green color blindness appears when there are defects in the red and green pigment cone.
This color deficiency is typically passed through generations, and there are no permanent cures for this cause.
How to diagnose deuteranopia
There are only two ways to diagnose deuteranopia. Refer to the following points:
- By taking a color blind test online
You can always opt for a color blind test online. Our color blindness tests available can help detect if you are color blind. Even if you are already aware of this condition and wish to know the type, some tests can help you. These tests are similar to the clinical method and provide accurate results without costing you a penny.
Also, you can check our Mosaic test (Color vision test) to discover the possibility of deuteranopia in you. The test will give you accurate results. And in under 2 minutes, you will be aware of your current condition.
- Consult a doctor
Another way to diagnose this condition is by consulting an optometrist. This way is preferable when you are unaware of the current technology. If taking the test online is difficult, you can always contact an expert. Naturally, knowing through a doctor will cost you some bucks, but you will get to know about your exact condition.
And the doctor can lead you immediately to the treatments if something comes up in the results.
Did You know
According to the sources, the tech-savvy Mark Zuckerberg is red-green color blinded. That means it is difficult for him to identify red-green colors. This is why Facebook is Blue because the colors that he can see the best is BLUE.
He told the Newyorker magazine,
"Blue is my richest color; I can see all of Blue."
Treatment
There are no treatments for deuteranopia currently because it is an inherited condition. However, you can always opt for corrective lenses or glasses that help neutralize red-green color blindness. The color filter glasses are tinted or lenses you can wear over your regular glasses.
As we already mentioned, since the red-green color deficiency is often inherited, the absence of colored filter glasses or lenses may be problematic for you. In some rare cases, deuteranopia is caused due to some medical conditions that can be cured with some proper
treatment. In the case of inherited deuteranopia, you must stay aware as it is not a progressive condition. Even if you are a mild or severe case of color deficiency or a severe one, you could expect the same condition as you age, without worsening.
However, if you do not opt for lenses and filter glasses, you might find it challenging to adjust to daily life.