How to Work With Contacts for the Colorblind

Color blindness, also known as daltonism, is a condition that affects about one in 10 men, and even fewer women. The most common form of color blindness is a red-green color deficiency. A less common form of color blindness that affects both genders equally causes a blue-yellow color deficiency. Color blindness can interfere with a person's lifestyle, career aspirations and even the ability to distinguish a green traffic light from a red traffic light. Fortunately, contact lenses for color blind individuals have been developed. While these types of contacts do not correct the underlying problem, they adjust colors and hues to compensate for the color blindness.

Instructions

• 1

  Have your eye care specialist confirm the diagnosis of color blindness. In addition to a routine eye exam, your provider may perform specialized tests that look for rapid or side-to-side movements, which can often indicate a more severe form of color blindness. Your eye care specialist will also check your vision to determine your correct prescription for contact lenses.

• 2

  You will be fitted for a style of contact lenses that best suits your eyes and vision needs. Your eye care specialist will give you a choice between rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses, and soft lenses. RGP are generally less expensive; they are also a better choice if you have an astigmatism, as they tend to retain their shape, which forces the abnormally-shaped cornea to adjust to the standard spherical shape. Soft lenses are more flexible and retain more moisture, and they are also designed to allow more oxygen to penetrate and reach the eye.

• 3

  Your eye care specialist will instruct you on the usage of your contact lenses, including how to put them in and position them, and what type of solution to clean them with and store them in. You may be sent home with a trial pair of contact lenses to test for a few days, or your eye specialist may provide you with a full prescription.

• 4

  Wear your contact lenses as you go through your day as you normally would. Consider using sun glasses while you are outdoors, as contact lenses make your eyes more vulnerable to the sun's harmful UV rays.