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Definition of disability, detection of the disorder and similar diseases, Brut talks with Alexandre Sifer, intern in ophthalmology about color blindness, a hereditary disorder that affects 8% of men and only 1% of women.
“Color blindness is damage to the retinal cells, called the cones, which are at the center of vision. These cells make it possible to stimulate a pigment and to perceive these colors”, explains Alexandre Sifer. This abnormality of vision can differ, through different types. The most frequent is the achievement of the red cone but the absence of retinal receptors can also concern the green and the blue. In this sense, patients are unable to differentiate certain colors.
“We don’t call it a disease, rather an attack”
This genetic disorder is passed down through the mother. “At the level of the chromosomes, each woman has two X chromosomes and the man, an X chromosome and a Y chromosome. This explains that when the X chromosome from the mother is transmitted to the male child, if the chromosome is affected, the child will be a carrier of the disease. Whereas for women, if only one of the X chromosomes carries the disease, since she has two, she will not be affected by the disease.”, explains Alexandre Sifer. During his life, it is therefore impossible to be affected by color blindness. However, other diseases such as achromatopsia, a rare disease of the retina can be triggered during a lifetime and alter color perception, such as color blindness.
To detect this disorder, the Ishihara test is implemented in schools and consists of classifying colors according to numbers. In this way, color blindness can be detected more easily. Currently, there is no treatment to cure this disorder. However, glasses and contact lenses, with a specific lens shape, will come to increase “the contrasts of lights and allow these patients to be more comfortable”.