Color Deficiency

Color Vision Deficiency Treatment at Midway Optometry

Do you or a loved one have difficulty distinguishing colors from one another? The team at Midway Optometry, your optometrist in San Diego is standing by to help patients who may be suffering from color blindness. Read on for information about color vision deficiency treatment. We also carry Enchroma eye wear to help our color deficient patients.

What Is Color Vision Deficiency?

Color vision deficiency is a disorder that prevents patients from telling different shades of color apart from one another.

People also refer to this condition as “color blindness,” but in fact, most people can see some color even when they have color vision deficiency. The most common occurrences of color vision deficiency make it harder for patients to tell red from green and to a lesser extent, blue from yellow.

Causes of Color Vision Deficiency

A wide range of causes exist for color vision deficiency. When it is an inherited condition, the disease usually affects both eyes. If color vision deficiency is the result of an illness or injury, it may only affect one eye.

We can see color thanks to photoreceptors called cones that receive light via the retina. Light sensitive pigments in the cones make it possible for people to see in color. Cones are sensitive to either blue, green or red light, which have different frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Common Causes of color vision deficiency include:

• Alzheimer’s disease

• Diabetes

• Glaucoma

• Leukemia

• Multiple Sclerosis

• Sickle Cell Anemia

This list is not meant to be comprehensive. Contact our office if you have concerns about any other potential causes of color vision deficiency.

Diagnosis and Treatment From Your San Diego Eye Doctor

In order to be properly diagnosed for color vision deficiency, the patient must be examined by a qualified vision care practitioner. The eye doctor will show you a set of pictures that are made up of a range of colored dots (optometrists call these images pseudoisochromatic plates). People who have normal color vision can easily identify the correct number made up with dots, while people who have trouble seeing colors will see an entirely different number.

If you suspect that you may have color blindness, you’ll be glad to know that we are now carrying Enchroma products. Enchroma carries special glasses that deliver accurate and vibrant colors that people with color vision deficiency cannot see without assistance.

Currently, there is no treatment or cure for color blindness if it has been inherited, but patients who became color blind because of an injury or illness, may be able to regain some color vision with specially tinted contact lenses or eyeglasses.

If you are unsure about whether you are color deficient, there is an online test that you can take at the Enchroma website. Please keep in mind that only an eye care professional can give you a qualified medical diagnosis for color blindness. This online test is designed for informational purposes only.

Visit Midway Optometry Today

If you have any questions about color vision deficiency or are ready to make an appointment to see about getting treated for this condition, please contact Midway Optometry today.

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