Acquired Color Vision Deficiency

Oliver Sacks, in the Case of the Colorblind Painter,tests. The changes can be very subtle which is why
describes how an artist, who was famous for hisearly reporting is essential.If you acquire color
brilliantly-colored abstract canvasses, suddenly anddeficiencies you are more likely to encounter difficulties
irreversibly loses all color perception as the result of ain correctly naming colors. This is because life-long
car accident. This tragic case depicted by Sacks isexperience with defective color perception enables
one example of an acquired color visionthose with the inherited form to use compensatory
deficiency.What were once vibrant works of art nowtechniques to overcome their handicap.Because
appeared to him grayish or black and white. It was aacquired color vision deficiencies are the result of life
devastating blow for a lifelong painter whose art andevents, they can arise from a variety of different
life were now without meaning.causes affecting the retina, visual pathways or areas
Not all cases of this affliction, however, are as sudden,of the brain which process color information.A wide
complete or permanent: onset can be slow andrange of prescription drugs, conditions such as multiple
appreciation of colors can change gradually over timesclerosis, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, some
depending on the particular eye disease.However,liver diseases and many eye diseases can affect the
whereas inherited alterations to color vision tend tocone nerve cells which enable us to discriminate fine
remain stable through life, late onset color visiondetail and colors by day.As a result, and often in only
changes can be an early sign of disease or a sideone eye at a time, color vision is temporarily or
effect of prescribed medication. It is important,permanently changed. Both men and women are
therefore, that you consult your doctor should youaffected equally.Sufferers from arthritis, heart disease
become aware of any changes in your perception ofand depression sometimes find their color vision
color.To clarify matters, let's look at the differencesimpaired as a side effect of their long-term use of
between acquired color vision deficiency and inheritedprescription drugs. Even stroke patients who take
or congenital deficiencies:Typically congenitalaspirin over many years to thin the blood can
deficiencies involve confusion over red and green.encounter altered color perception.Cataracts, glaucoma
Acquired deficiencies more often than not are aand the majority of eye problems affecting the retina
blue-yellow problem.There is a gender imbalance inor nerve pathways to the brain are associated with a
congenital defects as they are linked to the X femalereduced ability to differentiate colors, including blues and
chromosome. This means mothers (whose vision willgreens.But the most widespread form of acquired
be apparently normal) carry the defect to their sons.color vision deficiency in the developed world, affecting
Inherited color vision deficiency is, therefore, moresome 23 per cent of people over the age of 65, is
prevalent in males than females.By contrast, acquiredage-related macular degeneration (AMD). Involving a
defects are not gender-related except by genderloss of the cone-rich area of central vision (the macula)
differences in the experience of brain trauma injuries,where color vision is sharpest it often leads to
for example.As touched on above acquired defectsblindness.Finally, the condition known as optic neuritis,
are less likely to be stable over time. With congenitalwhich can result in a distortion or lack of color vision,
defects both eyes tend to be affected equallyillustrates well how one example of acquired color
whereas acquired color deficiencies are more likely tovision deficiency can be an indicator of two very
affect one eye more than the other. Stroke victimsdifferent prognoses.This inflammation of the optic
typically experience a more pronounced colornerve is sometimes diagnosed in young children
deficiency in one eye.Acquired defects are not asfollowing an illness such as measles or mumps.
easily diagnosed or detected with standard color vision