A recent study performed by the Multi-Ethnic Eye Disease Study Group found that 5.6 percent of Caucasian boys are color blind – the highest of any ethnicity. While the prevalence of color blindness in girls in all groups tested fell between 0 and 0.5 percent, one in 20 Caucasian male children ended up testing color blind — a staggering statistic for many parents. If you think your child is struggling with color blindness, it’s important to be on the look out for a couple tell-tale signs.
Mistakes Identifying Colors
The main symptoms for very young children appear during coloring activities. For instance, a child may use the wrong colors for an object or have a low attention span whenever coloring worksheets are involved, explains Color Blind Awareness.
Learning Difficulties
Certain learning difficulties may simply be a result of color blindness, such as reading text on colored pages. Your child may also complain of a headache or pain in the eyes.
Total Color Blindness
Although rare, some people are unable to see any color at all and everything appears black, white, or gray, explains WebMD.
Nystagmus
Nystagmus refers to rapid, side-to-side eye movements and may suggest sever color blindness, warns the New York Times.
Ethnicity and Gender
As stated previously, male Caucasian children are among the most likely to test color blind. In contrast, African-American boys — at 1.4 percent — have the lowest rate of color blindness among young males.
Although most color vision problems are genetic, UV damage is something you should watch out for, especially during the summer. Issues such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy are all conditions that can be attributed to UV damage and may lead to color blindness. The best way to avoid UV damage is with a pair of quality shades. Check out Real Kids’ collection of children’s sunglasses to find a pair that is right for your kids.