If you’ve heard of color blind glasses, seen a viral video, or have color blindness yourself, then you may be online searching for answers. Do color blind glasses really work? They do, but they don’t actually correct color blindness. They will only allow you to see true colors while you wear the glasses. Once you take them off, you’ll still experience color vision related issues, the same as before. But for many color blindness sufferers, this leap in technology provides the type of effective treatment that they’ve been waiting for their entire life. So, how do these glasses work and what type of results can you expect? Let’s learn more.
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A Cure for Color Blindness?
As I mentioned above, these glasses cannot cure your color blindness, but they can fix this vision problem, the instant you put them on. These glasses work by providing more contrast between each wavelength of light, which makes it much easier for the brain to differentiate between these different wavelengths. The filters on these glasses are color filters, so anyone who wears these glasses will experience a change in the way they see colors. They will view color differently, but they will not see new colors. This is because the response of the cones in the retina and the response of the visual cortex and optical nerves will not be modified. While the use of these colored filters can change the appearance of colors, they will never make a person’s color vision the same as someone with normal vision. Basically, it’s like adjusting the contrast on a television.
So these glasses will not fix color blindness, yet they can make it easier for people with color blindness to tell colors apart. Keep in mind that there are different types of color blindness. Because of this, these glasses will not work for everyone, especially those with a severe form of color blindness. However, if you’re interested in trying the best color blind glasses, it’s important that you have realistic expectations, especially considering some of the top models can cost anywhere from one hundred up to three hundred dollars.
Some of the most popular glasses are made by EnChroma, a brand that has a reputation for producing some of the most effective glasses on the market that are designed to enhance the saturation and vibrancy of colors. Most wearers also claim the glasses can help to improve detail and depth perception. During testing, these glasses worked on four out of five people who suffered from red/green color blindness.
The Science Behind Color Blind Glasses
Most people aren’t aware that there are different types of color blindness, or even how it can impact how a person sees the world. Are those living with color blindness forced to go through a colorless life? Some severe forms of color blindness can prevent a person from seeing any color, so everything is in different shades of gray, while less severe forms will prevent a person from seeing certain colors, such as blues or reds.
People who don’t have color blindness can see approximately one to seven million different color hues, while those with color blindness are only able to see ten thousand up to one hundred thousand different hues.
Every person has three color cones located in the retina of the eyes. These cones are used to perceive red, green, and blue. The ratio of the light for every incoming color will pass through these cones and is then sent to the brain. The ratio of light will tell the brain what color the person should perceive. However, those affected with a color vision disorder will have green and red cones that noticeably overlap, which skews the ratio of color and light signals, causing the brain to have trouble interpreting any signal with green or red in it. These glasses will have optical filters that remove certain wavelengths, which establishes a more precise ratio of light that enters the eyes so that a person is able to perceive colors more clearly. These glasses won’t work for everyone and will not be able to correct the skewed ratio of color and light that people with color blindness see.
How to Determine if You Need Color Blind Glasses
The only way to receive a color blindness diagnosis is to have a comprehensive eye exam. A portion of the exam will involve several charts that are called pseudoisochromatic plates. These plates feature a variety of dots of color that are placed in different configurations, such as shapes and numbers. People with a specific color deficiency will not be able to see the numbers that are formed by the different colored dots. A person with normal vision will be able to see these shapes clearly.
If you’re interested in testing yourself, you can download these charts online, however, I recommend making an appointment with your ophthalmologist or optometrist in order to confirm that you are suffering from a color deficiency and in order to learn how severe it is and what your options are. For many, these glasses will help to significantly improve their ability to differentiate colors, but those with a severe form of color blindness will not benefit from using these glasses.
Will Color Blind Glasses Work for Everyone?
If the condition is inherited, there’s no cure for color blindness. However, color blindness that’s caused by brain or eye injury, trauma, or illness may be irreversible. As I mentioned earlier, there are some types of glasses that have been designed to improve contrast by filtering the light as it enters the retina. Additionally, there are also red contact lenses that a person can wear in one of their eyes that can help to improve the ability to distinguish one color from another. But many eye care specialists have been highly critical of these glasses since many believe that the claims made by manufacturers are very inaccurate.
There is no cure for color blindness that’s caused by genetics, so the primary treatment often involves learning how to live with this condition. As an example, the red stoplight is the light at the top, while the green light is at the bottom. Many people with this condition will organize their clothes in order to keep track of each piece of clothing in order to match them well with others. Learning how to read electronic manuals, maps, or signs for transportation is vital since color coding can easily be missed. People with more serious forms of color blindness can wear these special glasses to enhance the contrast between colors, but it will not help them to truly see the colors. For those with severe color blindness, these glasses will not be effective.
Popular Brands You Can Rely On
EnChroma is probably one of the best-known color blindness glasses manufacturers. They offer glasses that are specifically designed to treat red/green color vision issues. The manufacturer conducted extensive research to create glasses that they believe can provide the best results for those affected by color blindness. The materials used in these lenses are said to improve color perception accuracy by allowing the photoreceptors to work differently when the light hits them, allowing the brain to easily determine different wavelengths. Whether or not their glasses offer the best in lens technology is debatable, but their glasses have earned high user ratings with claims that wearers are able to view colors like never before.
Pilestone is another popular manufacturer that produces some of the best-selling glasses on the market. Their extensive line of color blindness glasses is also more affordable compared to EnChroma. Like EnChroma, their glasses are designed to treat people with red/green color blindness. People who wear these glasses have reported an immediate improvement in their ability to view red and green hues.
But despite the claims made by both manufacturers, their glasses may work, but they will not cure color blindness. In order to enjoy the benefits of seeing new hues, you’ll have to wear these glasses at all times. Additionally, these glasses will not be effective in treating every type of color blindness.
Final Thoughts
So, do color blind glasses really work? They do, but not how many people think. They will definitely improve the contrast of colors, so you will be able to see some new hues, but your color vision will never be comparable to that of someone with normal vision. Are these glasses worth the purchase? Definitely. Many people are curious about how these glasses work or whether or not they will have a major impact on their ability to see different colors. Fortunately, many of the leading brands will offer free trials or money-back guarantees, so you can try the glasses and return them within a specific timeframe if they don’t work for you. This type of risk-free purchase will give those suffering from color blindness every incentive to try them for themselves.
