Saskatoon, SK / 306.978.2993
Saskatoon, SK / 306.978.2993
If you see colours or shades differently than others, this means you have colour deficiency. You’ve likely had it your whole life, and you’ve probably been affected by it at some point.
Colour deficiency usually runs in families and there is currently no cure, but technological advances in contact lenses and eyeglasses have made it possible for those with colour deficiency to see more vibrant, brilliant colours in the world.
At Brighton Eyecare, we’re proud to bring our patients EnChroma’s revolutionary lenses and glasses lines.
Contact us to learn more about colour deficiency and our line of EnChromas glasses.
To know how colour deficiency works, let’s first look at how our eyes perceive colour.
The visible light spectrum is the section of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to the human eye. Humans can see about 10 million colours within this spectrum. When light hits an object, some light is absorbed, and the rest is reflected.
This reflected light enters the eye, first through the cornea, which bends it through the pupil, is focused by the lens, and lands on the retina. The retina is a light-sensitive layer of nerve cells at the back of the eye. It is responsible for our ability to perceive colour and shade.
The retina contains 2 types of photoreceptor cells that detect and respond to light:
Cones contain colour-detecting molecules called photopigments. Human eyes generally have 3 types of photopigments sensitive to different wavelengths of visible light: short wave-sensitive or blue, middle wave-sensitive or green, and long wave-sensitive or red.
When the cones are stimulated (when they detect light within the visible light spectrum), they send a signal through the optic nerve to the brain’s visual cortex. The brain processes the information based on the number of activated cones and the strength of their signal to visualize a colour.
Colour deficiency occurs when the eye is missing some of the photopigments, or one or more aren’t functioning as expected. Someone with colour deficiency can’t distinguish between certain shades and colours like those with normal colour vision.
Although it’s often referred to as “colour blindness,” this is actually incorrect. True colour blindness (achromatopsia), the inability to identify any colour, is very rare.
It’s more common for men to have colour deficiency than women. About 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have colour deficiency worldwide.
There are several types of colour vision impairments: 4 kinds of red-green deficiency, 2 types of blue-yellow colour deficiency, and complete colour deficiency:
Colour vision testing is relatively simple and occurs during a routine eye exam. The Ishihara colour test is one of the most widely used tests for colour deficiency because it’s easy, quick, and non-invasive.
The Ishihara test involves a set of plates with coloured dots. Those with normal colour vision see particular numbers, symbols, or pathways through the dots, while those with colour deficiency may not see anything or will see something different.
You can also test your colour vision at the EnChroma website using their proprietary colour vision test. It’s a great place to start before calling us at Brighton Eyecare.
Children with colour vision impairment may not realize they see differently than their peers. But because children’s learning materials are often colour coded and their teachers may use coloured markers in class, it’s essential their colour deficiency is diagnosed early.
Children’s colour vision is easily tested during a comprehensive children’s eye exam. An early diagnosis will give your child the best opportunity to adapt to their unique way of seeing the world.
Although there’s no cure, EnChroma is changing the way those with colour deficiency perceive the world!
EnChroma lenses selectively filter specific wavelengths of light where colour sensitivity occurs. By increasing the contrast of red and green colour signals, EnChroma addresses many types of red-green colour deficiency.
EnChroma lenses are available for both indoor and outdoor environments designed to be used in different lighting conditions. All EnChroma lenses offer 100% UV protection, extreme impact resistance, and superior anti-reflection coating to reduce haze and optimize clarity.
If you have questions about your or your child’s colour vision and how EnChroma glasses can improve your colour perception, please reach out to us to learn more! We would be happy to show you how we can help!
Brighton Eyecare is conveniently located in Brighton Marketplace just off McCormond Drive, between Save on Foods and The Keg.
| Monday: | 8 AM - 5 PM |
| Tuesday: | 8 AM - 5 PM |
| Wednesday: | 8 AM - 5 PM |
| Thursday: | 12 PM - 8 PM |
| Friday: | 8 AM - 5 PM |
| Saturday: | 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM (with the exception of long weekends) |
| Sunday: | Closed |
We understand that life is busy, and it isn’t always convenient to take time out of your workday to visit your optometrist. To help serve you better, we offer Saturday appointments and have extended hours on Thursdays.
