The disease is caused by genetic factors and affects color perception; learn how to identify with it and live with it well
While watching the match between Switzerland and Cameroon last Thursday (24), the influencer Pedro Certezas spoke on his social networks about the difficulty that people with color blindness face when watching the World Cup matches. He is among the 350 million people in the world who, according to World Health Organization (WHO), suffers from color blindness, a vision disorder which alters the perception of colors.
In this match, in particular, the colors of the players’ uniforms were an obstacle for the color-blind people who followed the match. This is because Switzerland played in red and Cameroon in green, colors which they usually are perceived more difficult from those with the condition. Cláudia Del Claro, ophthalmologist at the Innovation Commission of the Brazilian Society of Ophthalmology (SBO), explains that, in this situation, the color-blind person cannot differentiate which selection each player belongs to.
wow, i’m really pissed. when color blindness really gets in the way of life, it makes me very angry. pic.twitter.com/UbCONGfyk9
— Pedro Certezas (@pedrocertezas) November 24, 2022
What is the cause of color blindness?
Color blindness is a disease related to hereditary factors🇧🇷 Due to a genetic alteration in the X chromosome, the photoreceptors of the retina are affected and affect the color perception of individuals with the disease, who are mostly men. Since women have two X chromosomes, the genetic mutation that causes color blindness ends up being compensated for by the other unaffected chromosome. “It is probable that the disease does not manifest itself in the mother, who inherited it from the father, but she can pass it on to her sons.”
There are several ways to diagnose color blindness. Some children, still in school, tend to recognize that they perceive colors differently than their classmates. But there are cases of people only finding out about it in adult life.
There is a very common test that helps identify the condition, called Trial of Ishihara🇧🇷 “The test is performed with an image composed of several colored circles and a number in the center”, he specifies. “People who don’t have color blindness see the number very clearly. Those who have it can’t tell it apart, it’s like the image is all one thing,” she says. The test can be done by a dermatologist, but versions are available online.
Are there different types?
Color blindness can manifest itself in three main ways. The guy protanopia it is one in which the person sees the color red in shades of beige, brown, green or gray. “The characteristic of this type is the difficulty in perceiving the red pigment,” he explains. Another expression, called deuteranopia, involves the difficulty in perceiving the color green. “This individual will see green as brown,” she says.
There is still the tritanopia, in which the difficulty lies in perceiving blue and yellow. “He sees these colors as one, all in shades of pink,” she says. There is also a rarer manifestation of color blindness, called achromatopsia🇧🇷 In these cases, which tend to be very rare, the person sees everything in black, white and gray tones.
Each of these different types can appear at different levels, as explained by the ophthalmologist. “There are people who have a mild level of color blindness, so they can distinguish between some colors. Others already have a more advanced level.”
Does it require treatment?
Claudia explains that color blindness is a disease that has no cure or specific treatment. However, there are resources that can improve the quality of life of those affected, such as glasses and contact lenses, used by the influencer Pedro Certezas to minimize the difficulty of following the World Cup matches. “I’m slightly excited. Now I can watch the game in peace,” vented the influencer.
According to the ophthalmologist, the lenses of these glasses have a specific color for different types of color blindness, which can be red, orange or yellow. It is through these colors that glasses are able to normalize the vision of colorblind people.
Damn, I’m a little emotional.
First time color blindness glasses effectively help me in my life.
So beautiful pic.twitter.com/mYO5rqvgYw
— Pedro Certezas (@pedrocertezas) November 24, 2022
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Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
