Enchroma Color Blind Test: Are You Missing Out on Vivid Colors?
Enchroma Color Blind Test: Are You Missing Out on Vivid Colors?
Published By: Tushal
Reviewed By: Consultant Optometrist M. OPTOM Dr. Shreena Prajapati
5 December 2024

Overview of Color Blindness 

8% of all men are color blind and only 0.5% of women are color blind says the stat. Many people think that color blindness makes you see in gray or black and white but that’s not true. You cannot distinguish between multiple shades of color, sometimes green appears yellow, and red appears brown, there is a difference in not seeing colors at all or a mistaken perception of color. 

Some research also shows that people can see these colors if they are bright. They often struggle with colors that are dull or muted in some way, they get confused to distinguish shades reasons can vary from one eye condition to another. Today, we discuss more about the type of color blindness and the EnChroma Color Blind Test. 

What is the EnChroma Color Blind Test? 

Users can conveniently start the online EnChroma Color Blind Test. Like the Ishihara test model, we guess the "hidden digit" test in patterns of color dots simultaneously. The test gives a general estimation if a patient has some sort of definition.

It’s the modern adaptation of the Ishihara Test, which asks you to identify numbers and shapes and assess color vision deficiencies accordingly with the result, either mild, moderate, or strong. Such a test has a computer-adaptive algorithm. 

The test is available in two formats: a numbers mode for adults and a shape mode for children aged (below 5). The test assesses how well each cone in the eyes reacts to different wavelengths of light, by isolating a closer group of color perception. 

Users can take the test online using their phone or computer, and get immediate feedback. Based on this they can check with their eye expert later on. However, it is not suggested to rely on such test results alone. 

Users also have the option to take the test while wearing EnChroma glasses to see how their scores improve with enhanced color perception.  

Shocking Test Results of Enchroma Color Blind Test 

Enchroma Color Blind test is an online color blind test you can take on Enchroma.com. 

If you correctly guess all the numbers in the Enchroma Color Blind Test then, you receive a message and notification in your mail as, 

“Congrats! You can see up to one million distinct shades of color. 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 Women with color blindness may only see up to 10% of the colors you see.” 

If you have any sort of red color blindness, then the message pops out as, 

Protan Color Blind- You have a stronger deficiency in your red color cone, which means you have a type of red-green color blindness called Protan.

When you have a deficiency in the eyes' red color cones, you have a type of red-green color blindness called proton. This is about 25% of red-green color blindness cases, resulting in more issues with reds than green. 

Can I lose my color vision? 

You can still lose your sense of color even if you don’t have the muted gene for color blindness. 

Over time, the natural aging process can impact people’s ability to distinguish color. “The optical media within the lens fades and yellows. So some greens appear more yellow,” says Julia Wilde. The report shows that over half of the people with age 85 or older have some trouble seeing certain colors. 

Your color vision may be impacted due to injury in the eye, nerve, or brain damage. When you accidentally expose yourself to certain chemicals then your ability to distinguish color may decline. The cones get worn out for more than one reason. 

How do color-blind people perceive colors? 

In a normal person, three sensors in our eyes work together for us to see colors. If either of them is partly functioning or completely absent, you can be color blind. And the world is so confusing for you when you cannot distinguish what color something is. 

Your brain cannot process that as the sensors themselves are malfunctioning or are completely absent. There are also conditions when one spectrum of vision activates the other color perception. For example, Yellow light activates the red ones a lot the green a little bit less, and blue almost not at all. 

Most colorblind people lack either green or red sensors and have perfectly fine blue sensors. However, there are people with blue vision deficiency too. They both look sort of brown and identifying traffic lights becomes a big issue for such a color blind people.  

It might sound silly but you can tell someone is colorblind by the clothes they wear, sometimes, they pair yellow striped socks with blue, well not all, some do it for fashion too, but the majority do just because they often mismatch shades. 

Ways to Distinct Vivid colors for a Color-Blind person 

There are ways your eyes can look color, without the need for fancy glasses. Have you heard of an app that converts color for you, and is accessible by a color-blind person?  

“Even games have this setting to convert colors so that players do not confuse with enemies outlined in red and people on your team with green,” says Sci Show expert Hank Green.

You can simply wear a contact lens in just one eye, which is usually tinted deep red, so it blocks out a green light, and causes you trouble. When you wear such a tinted lens, the green objects look greener (on the darker edge), When you put yourself with one eye at a time, you can surely understand the difference between red and green. 

You don’t want to get the wires wrong when you are an electrician and such glasses help you with that. Directly coming from someone who uses these glasses, theft sees colors differently, but cure, that's not what it is. 

Glasses are designed with multi-notch filtering in a way that prevents cones from overlapping and causing confusion. They have rare earth metals that absorb certain wavelengths of light.  When someone wears glasses, theft sees the primary colors of light more vividly. If the cases are not too severe, power glasses also tend to somewhat help see the vivid colors more correctly. 

Before your eyes muddle the colors, take the Enchroma color blind test, get your eyes tested, and then take suggestions from a vision specialist to help you cope with it. 

What are the 7 types of color blindness? 

On a broader classification, color blindness is of three types, Monochromatism, dichromatism, and anomalous trichromatism. Two of them have sub-categorization, three each, which makes it all together 7. Let’s discuss them on a tiered basis.   

Tier 1 color blindness: Anomalous Trichromacy

sounds like Harry Potter, Anomalous Trichromacy. Enchroma glasses filter out the wavelengths and improve the contrast of certain colors, to avoid the confusion zone. They are filtering out certain colors from the spectrum. 

When one has all three cones, but one type gets activated by the wrong wavelengths.  About 6.3% of men and 0.3% of women have this condition. And in most of the cases, people either have red or green cones affected. 

Do the users see the full spectrum of colors? Like the brand claims?? How can anyone see fully, when your glasses stop certain wavelengths of colors?? How can filtering lights correct the genetic disorder of photoreceptors in your eyes? So, what’s the difference between hunting glasses and color blind glasses, asks Youtuber Mega Lag

1. Protanomaly

Protanomaly is a mild form of red-green color blindness where individuals have reduced sensitivity to red light. They can still see some shades of red but may confuse them with greens.

2. Deuteranomaly 

Green cones detect wavelengths that are too high ( on the redder end of the spectrum). Quite the opposite is protanomaly, where red cones detect wavelengths that are too low (like green). There is confusion about red and green as they appear yellow. 

3. Tritanomaly

Tritanomaly is a rare and less severe form of blue-yellow color blindness characterized by reduced sensitivity to blue light. Individuals can see some shades of blue but have difficulty distinguishing between blue and green hues and may confuse yellow with red.

Tier 2 Color blindness 

Where there is a shortage of entire wavelengths of glass like green, how can even light-filtering glasses correct color-blind vision here? It's a question of debate, with a clear winner. 

Assessment tests for Tier 2 color blindness are used by pilots and other professionals. Farnsworth Lantern Test (FALANT) and Optec 900 Test are some standard tests for testing color blindness in a person. 

1. Protanopia

Protonopia is a type of red-green color blindness where individuals cannot perceive red light due to the absence of red cones (L-cones). They may confuse reds with greens and see them as similar shades.

2. Deuteranopia

Deuteranopia is another type of red-green color blindness where individuals are born with genes that lack green cones (M-cones). Individuals with this condition find it hard to set apart red and green hues.

3. Tritanopia

Tritanopia is a form of blue-yellow color blindness where individuals lack blue cones (S-cones). They may confuse blues with greens and yellows. 

Tier 3 Monochrpmacy /Achromatopsia 

That is where two or all three of the cones are not functioning at all. Those who suffer see hues of black, white, and grey. If blocking certain wavelengths can bring back the perk of seeing all vivid colors, that does not sound good to me. 

Monochromacy is a condition where individuals either lack one or all, or either of them are not functioning at all. People with such a diagnosis of achromatopsia only see in black, white, and gray. And it is even hard to believe that, it's incredibly rare, only 1 in 30,000 people have it.  

Exposing the EnChroma Myth: A Deep Dive into the Science

EnChroma is a brand with the trust of many, with its promise to "cure color blindness" but is it really curable? If you don’t have any cones to sense color perception, how will a glass restore your vision perception? 

Does EnChroma allow users to "see new colors?"  or is it just a marketing gimmick? 

EnChroma claims that its coated glasses with special filters can improve color vision. This, they argue, can enhance the contrast between colors, simply by filtering wavelengths of light. But does it make any easy for individuals with CVD to perceive color accurately?

However, scientific research has yielded mixed results. While some studies have shown modest improvements in color perception for certain individuals, others have found little to no benefit.

Some find the claims of EnChroma's glasses to be true in sort of potential benefits. While others raise serious doubts about the long-term effects of wearing these glasses can cure it. Enchroma uses special filters to selectively block certain wavelengths of light and when blocking can people see new shades of color. Well, you can sense some fishiness here. 

Brain on Duty in Color Perception

Its brain is “the master organ” that interprets signals and gives color perception. The process is not as simple as it sounds. While EnChroma glasses may offer temporary help with improved contrast, long-term improvements in color vision may require more comprehensive approaches, such as brain training or other therapeutic interventions.

Ethical Considerations of Enchroma

EnChroma glasses come with a hefty price tag of over $500 rather expensive treatment. This raises concerns it is not accessible to many individuals with Color vision deficiency (CVD). Even the aggressive marketing tactics raise eyebrows for misleading consumers and tempered testimonials and reviews. 

Conclusion 

Online color-blind tests often give you unreliable tests, and even false positive results in most cases. To go more in-depth on why you see a certain color a certain way and check any signs or risk of color vision blindness, contact Vision Concern Clinic directly. You can also book a visit to a nearby eye care clinic and get tested today! 

FAQs 

1. Are there any side effects of wearing Enchroma glasses?  

EnChroma glasses primarily enhance color discrimination for individuals with anomalous trichromacy, which includes conditions like protanomaly (red cone deficiency) and deuteranomaly (green cone deficiency). 

For individuals with dichromacy, such as protanopia or deuteranopia, where one type of cone is completely absent, the glasses are less effective. EnChroma glasses are also not designed to assist those with tritanopia or tritanomaly, which affect blue-yellow color discrimination. 

2. Are there any color-blind glasses other than EnChroma? 

Yes, there are several brands of color blindness glasses similar to EnChroma that aim to enhance color perception for individuals with color vision deficiencies, which include Pilestone, VINO optics, STBJ, and Golden glasses. 

It's absurd if we say someone who is color blind wears special glasses and starts seeing color. Wearing Enchroma color blind glasses does not support all, but these glasses do react to colors to aid vision for certain groups of people. If someone is color blind, something is up with their eyes  The cones that are for seeing Long, medium, and small wavelengths of light that correspond to red, green, and yellow, face some kind of issue. 

3. Is Color blindness a genetic mutation? 

Color blindness is the genetic mutation on the X, most men get the gene from their mother’s father. If men get a copy of this, they will express it, or experience it. For Some women with two XX chromosomes sometimes, one x will have the mutation and the other will be just fine and kind of overrides the mutation. 

4. What is tetrachromacy, and how does it differ from normal color vision?

Tetrochromacy occurs in some women, who have a fourth type of cone cell. The idea that some people might have a fourth cone was put forward in the late 1940s by Dutch Scientist HL de Vries, women with the genes are the carriers, of mutation.  

Tetrachromacy allows them to see an estimated 100 million colors, compared to about one million colors perceived by trichromats (those with normal vision). It is estimated that around 12% of women may possess some form of tetrachromatic vision. 

5. Does viral Online Color Blindness give accurate results? 

Maybe we should lower our expectations. Viral online tests like Enchroma do not prove or say anything solid about your color blindness.

Yes, we provide emergency eye care for conditions like eye injuries, sudden vision loss, and infections. If you experience any urgent eye problems, please contact us immediately, and our team will assist you in getting the care you need.

Signs to watch for include blurry vision, floaters, sudden loss of vision, eye pain, redness, or sensitivity to light. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to schedule an eye exam at Vision Concern Eye Clinic as soon as possible for early diagnosis and treatment.

If you’re experiencing blurred vision, headaches, or eye strain, it may be a sign that you need glasses or contact lenses. Our eye exams will help determine whether you need corrective lenses. We’ll also discuss your options based on your lifestyle and preferences, including glasses, contacts, or even refractive surgery like LASIK.