TL;DR
Difficulty distinguishing colours is a challenge that can affect everyday activities, from choosing clothing to understanding warning signals.
But why does it happen, and what steps can you take to manage it? What are the common causes of difficulty distinguishing colours?
How do you know if you have difficulty distinguishing colours?
The symptoms can vary, but common signs include:
- Struggling to match clothing colours accurately.
- Finding it hard to tell whether a fruit is ripe.
- Mistaking traffic light colours or warning signals.
If you notice these signs, an eye specialist can perform tests, such as the Ishihara test, to determine whether you’re experiencing colour vision issues.
What can cause difficulty distinguishing colours?
1. Colour vision deficiency (CVD)
Often referred to as colour blindness, CVD doesn’t usually mean seeing the world in black and white. Instead, it’s an altered perception of colours. For example, you might confuse red with green or struggle with shades of blue.
This condition arises from abnormalities in the cones of the retina, the cells responsible for colour detection.
Did you know? Red-green colour blindness is the most common form, affecting 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women globally.
2. Age-related changes
As you age, your eyes undergo changes that can affect colour perception. The lens within your eye can become less transparent, causing colours to appear faded or yellowed. Cataracts, which cloud the lens, are a leading culprit in this change.
3. Neurological conditions
Some neurological issues can impact how your brain interprets colours.
Conditions such as multiple sclerosis or a stroke might damage the visual processing areas in the brain, leading to altered colour perception.
Related read: How Eyes Connect To The Brain
4. Medications and chemicals
Certain medications and chemical exposures can interfere with how colours are perceived. For instance, some drugs for heart conditions or mental health issues may have side effects that include altered vision.
5. Eye diseases
Diseases like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or macular degeneration can damage the retina, impairing your ability to perceive colours. These conditions often develop gradually, so regular eye check-ups are essential.
Steps to manage colour vision challenges
1. Get a professional assessment
Your first step in managing any eye condition, especially complex ones like wet AMD, should always be a comprehensive eye exam conducted by a qualified eye care professional.
These assessments go beyond basic vision checks, delving into the health of your eyes to identify specific issues and underlying causes that might affect your vision.
During a professional eye exam, your ophthalmologist or optometrist will use advanced diagnostic tools, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) or fluorescein angiography, to get a detailed view of your retina and detect abnormalities like fluid buildup or leaky blood vessels—common markers of wet AMD.
This process not only confirms the diagnosis but also helps determine the stage and severity of the condition, which is critical for creating a tailored treatment plan.
Beyond identifying the cause, your eye care professional can discuss lifestyle modifications, supplements, or advanced treatments, such as anti-VEGF injections or laser therapy, depending on your specific case.
2. Use technology to assist
Smartphone apps, specialised glasses, and wearable devices are designed to help individuals with CVD distinguish colours more effectively.
These tools provide real-time adjustments, such as enhancing contrast or identifying colours through voice descriptions.
Apps can also assist with labelling and sorting objects, making daily activities like choosing clothes or grocery shopping more manageable.
Augmented reality (AR) glasses can further aid by overlaying helpful visual cues in real-world environments.
While these innovations don’t cure the condition, they significantly improve functionality, boost confidence, and enhance independence in navigating everyday challenges for those with colour vision deficiencies.
Related read: The Future Of Eye Care Technology
3. Adapt your environment
Adjusting your environment can greatly improve daily life with wet AMD. Brighter, natural light enhances colour distinction, while task lighting can illuminate specific areas for activities like reading or cooking.
- Adding high-contrast labels to items in your home or workplace aids identification, making tasks more manageable.
- Organising frequently used items in consistent, accessible spots can reduce the need for searching.
- Magnifying glasses or electronic visual aids can also support better focus on small details.
- Using tactile markers, like raised stickers, for appliances or keyboards provides additional navigation support, further increasing your independence and comfort in everyday routines.
4. Seek guidance for vision rehabilitation
Vision therapy or rehabilitation programmes offer invaluable techniques to help you adapt to vision changes.
These may include strategies for distinguishing colours in your environment, improving depth perception, and enhancing spatial awareness.
Through tailored exercises and support, these programmes empower individuals to maintain independence, effectively manage daily tasks, and improve overall quality of life despite vision limitations.
When should you seek help?
If colour vision issues begin suddenly or worsen over time, it’s critical to seek medical advice promptly.
While some causes are benign, such as minor age-related changes or inherited colour vision deficiency, others might signal more serious underlying conditions.
Early diagnosis and treatment are key in such cases to ensure the best outcomes.
