Some things in life we just seemingly take for granted and one of those common things is the ability to see color. However, some individuals are born with color blindness that hinders their ability to see beautiful and vibrant colors. Color blindness is a fairly common condition that is hereditary. It can be linked to genetics and most people with this condition are simply born with it. This means that they really have no idea what colors they are missing out on.
Is All Color Blindness The Same?
Although this condition is found to be hereditary not everyone obtains the same form of this condition. Some individuals experience very mild forms of color blindness, but others have the unfortunate reality of suffering from more severe types. The defect is what causes the range in mild, moderate to severe forms of color blindness. If your color blindness is an inherited condition, you will have the same type of condition throughout your lifetime. This means that your symptoms will not get better, but they will not get worse.
How Is Color Blindness Genetically Passed?
Although color blindness is mostly a hereditary condition, it does not have to be. However, Red/green and blue color blindness is the most common type that is passed on from your parents. There is a specific gene that is found within the X chromosome, which explains why men are mostly affected with this condition over women. About 250 million people in the world have this condition currently and a higher percentage of these individuals are male.
Most people that are diagnosed with color blindness are given this trait by their mother. However, the mother most often does not actually have the condition of color blindness. In fact, the mother usually is only a carrier of color blindness. If you are not born with this condition at birth, you can obtain it in other forms. The other causes of color blindness that are not linked to genetics include diabetes and some forms of liver disease. However, being born with this condition is most common.
What Does Color Blindness Involve?
Your ability to see color is a process involving light and signals being sent to your brain. Individuals with color blindness often have a faulty cones that do not allow them to stimulate brain cells when specific colors are seen.
