With the advancements in technology and science, there are many assistive devices and goggles in the market that can help people with colour vision deficiencies (CVD) manage everyday life, Dr Thomas Cherian, who is a senior consultant ophthalmologist at Little Flower Hospital & Research Centre in Angamaly in Kerala tells Anna Jose in an interview. Edited excerpts:
What practical strategies do people with CVD use to distinguish colours?
Most of the time, they can identify which is red and which is green, though not with the same yardstick that normal people identify these colours with. So, with acquired colour blindness, they will be able to lead a normal life to an extent. We cannot call them totally handicapped, and they can have many job opportunities and lead a normal life. With training, these people can learn to identify the shades and hues of colours.
Are there everyday situations where people with colour deficiencies need to be careful?
Many people with colour blindness drive vehicles in India. Fortunately, most of them are used to seeing green signals and interpreting them correctly. Also, there is a pattern and position for lights on the traffic signals. These tools help them. Identifying medicines and currency notes is easy with better literacy. But such people should not look for professions in the airlines and railways, because it is very important to identify colour signals. Recently, a patient who is an engineer came to me with colour blindness. He was looking for employment in a factory. But the job requires identifying different knobs. So, with this condition, he was not allowed to do it.
Apart from medications, how helpful are assistive devices & spectacles for people with CVD?
With the advancements in technology and science, there are many assistive devices and goggles available in the market that can assist people with colour vision deficiencies. But these devices can only help them manage everyday life, and we cannot expect these devices to help them become a loco pilot or a pilot. They will be able to identify red and green with a certain level of confidence.
What is the difference between someone inherited CVD and someone who acquires it?
Most of the diseases that cause acquired colour blindness are unilateral. Congenital is always bilateral. In inherited and congenital CVD, people are not able to identify green and red from a young age. People with acquired colour blindness find it more difficult to manage. Since these diseases are confined to one eye, they can be managed. The difficulty arises only when the condition becomes bilateral. No wonder nature has provided man with two eyes.
