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How Do Our Eyes Perceive Colors? Overview of Color Blindness and Its Treatments

Bgn admin

2025.03.14


How Our Eyes Perceive Color and Treatment Options for Color Vision Deficiency



Hello, this is Dr. Sae-Kwang Park from BGN Eye Clinic in Jamsil Lotte Tower.

Today, I’d like to talk about something that might be helpful for those with color vision deficiency—commonly known as color blindness.

While I often share content related to vision correction (LASIK, LASEK, SMILE, SMILE Pro, and ICL) or presbyopia and cataracts, today's topic will be a little different—color vision deficiency.

The way we perceive color is much more complex than it seems. For instance, when we see a red apple, we instinctively recognize it as red. But in reality, this perception involves a sophisticated process involving light, photoreceptor cells, and brain interpretation.

Let’s take a step-by-step look at how we see color, what color vision deficiency is, what difficulties it brings, and what supportive methods are currently available.



How We See Color – The Role of Light

To understand color, we must first understand light. When light is passed through a prism, it breaks into seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. These colors make up the visible light spectrum.

Objects reflect specific wavelengths of light and absorb the rest. For example, a red apple reflects red wavelengths and absorbs the others, which is why we perceive it as red.


How Does the Human Eye Recognize Color?

Our eyes contain photoreceptor cells that detect light. These are divided into two main types:

✔ Cone cells – Responsible for color vision

✔ Rod cells – Responsible for detecting brightness and darkness

Cone cells are particularly important for perceiving color.

There are three types of cone cells, each sensitive to different wavelengths:


Red-sensitive cones

Green-sensitive cones

Blue-sensitive cones

These three types of cells work together to allow us to perceive a full spectrum of colors.

This is the same principle used in digital displays, often called the RGB system.



What Is Color Vision Deficiency (Color Blindness)?

Normal color perception requires all three types of cone cells to function properly.

However, when one type of cone is missing or underperforming due to genetics or aging, Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) can occur.


Main Causes of Color Vision Deficiency

✔ Genetics – Often inherited through the X chromosome, making it more common in men

✔ Aging – The function of cone cells may decline over time

✔ Eye diseases – Conditions like glaucoma or macular degeneration may affect color perception

✔ Medication side effects – Certain antibiotics or antidepressants can cause changes in color vision


Types of Color Vision Deficiency

✔ Red-Green Deficiency – The most common form; difficult to distinguish between red and green

✔ Blue-Yellow Deficiency – Less common; difficulty distinguishing between blue and yellow

✔ Total Color Blindness (Achromatopsia) – Extremely rare; only able to perceive shades of gray


How Can Color Vision Deficiency Be Managed?

While there’s currently no complete cure for color blindness, there are several tools and techniques that can help improve color discrimination.


1) Color-Corrective Glasses & Contact Lenses

These use special filters to enhance contrast between certain colors.

They can make it easier to distinguish between colors, especially in daily activities.


2) Digital Color Adjustment Tools

Many smartphones and

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