Corneacare Logo
  • CorneaCare Logo
  • Shop
    • Shop All
    • Eyelid Hygiene
    • Eye Vitamins
    • Eye Drops
    • Eyecare Bundles
  • Education
    • Dry Eye Disease
      • Dry Eye 101
      • Causes & Diagnosis
      • Lifestyle
      • Treatment
      • Why It Matters
    • Eye Health & Wellness
    • Eye Glossary
    • Take the Quiz
  • Community
  • App
  • Take the Quiz
  • Contact us
  • Login
  • My Account
Login
Cart Icon 0
Take the Quiz
  • Shop
  • Education
  • Our App
  • Take the Quiz
  • Shop
  • Education
  • Our App
  • Take the Quiz

A-Z Glossary

Table of Contents

Tritanopia

Courtney Dryer, OD
Written byCourtney Dryer, OD
Courtney Dryer, OD
Courtney Dryer, ODOptometristCharlotte, NC

Bio

Dr. Courtney Dryer earned her doctorate from Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, Tennessee in 2011. She opened her own practice Autarchic Spec Shop in 2013 in Charlotte, NC. She has had the privilege of writing for numerous optometric publications and serving in various industry capacities. In 2015, Vision Monday named her a rising star and one of the most influential women in optometry. Her optometric passions include practice management, specialty contact lenses, and dry eye management.

  • Last updated February 7, 2023

What is Tritanopia?

Tritanopia is a type of color vision deficiency that affects the perception of color. Individuals with tritanopia have a blue-yellow defect. A blue-yellow defect does not mean they can’t see yellow and blue, but they have difficulty differentiating shades of blue and green. While tritanopia affects color perception, it does not affect the clarity or sharpness of your vision. Tritanopia is more rare than a red-green deficiency and is estimated to affect 1% of the population.

Key Takeaways

  • Individuals with tritanopia have a blue-yellow color defect.
  • Tritanopia is congenital and affects both males and females.
  • Tritanopia cannot be cured, but may be improved with specialty tinted glasses, aids, and apps.
You brush your teeth,
moisturize your skin,
what about your eyes?
Take the quiz

Understanding Tritanopia

Individuals with tritanopia are missing the S-cones, which are the type of cone sensitive to short-wavelengths of light. Tritanopia prevents one from being able to tell the difference between blue and green, purple and red, and yellow and pink. It also makes colors appear less bright. Blue–yellow color blindness can be a more serious deficiency because some individuals may also have red–green color blindness. 

Tritanomaly is different from tritanopia in that those with Tritanomaly have difficulty distinguishing between green and blue, and red and yellow. Individuals with tritanomaly have defective S-cones caused by a gene mutation. When compared, those with tritanopia seem to have less difficulty performing routine tasks than those with red–green color deficiency. 

Risk Factors for Tritanopia

Tritanopia is an autosomal dominant disorder of the visual system and is typically present at birth. It is a genetic mutation, but in contrast to other forms of color blindness, is not an x-linked recessive trait. It is equally found in both males and females. Tritanopia can be acquired with certain ocular conditions such as cataracts, diabetes, and macular degeneration. Other factors that have demonstrated an association with tritanopia are alcoholism, workers exposed to low concentrations of organic solvents, and traumatic brain injuries.

Tritanopia Symptoms

  • Difficulty with shades of blue and green
  • Difficulty distinguishing dark blue from black
  • Increased light sensitivity (photophobia)
  • Nystagmus

Diagnosing Tritanopia

Doctors commonly use the Ishihara Color Test to diagnose Tritanopia. The Ishihara Color Test requires the patient to look at a series of dots. Individuals with normal vision will be able to see the dots, but the number will be invisible or difficult for those with Tritanopia.

Tritanopia Treatment

The only treatment available for tritanopia is specially tinted glasses designed for color blindness. The glasses may be beneficial in viewing colors more accurately. Colorblind glasses contain optical materials designed to filter specific wavelengths of light. Visual aids or color vision apps may be helpful for day-to-day living.

There is not a cure for any type of color blindness, but gene therapy for color blindness is currently being researched and success has been demonstrated in monkeys.

Bibliography

  1. Neimark, J. Tritanopia. All About Vision. Updated on June 14, 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/color-blindness/tritanopia/
  2. Types of Color Blindness. National Eye Institute. Updated June 26, 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/color-blindness/types-color-blindness

Related Terms

Loading...

Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA)

is a congenital retinal dystrophy resulting in nystagmus and significantly reduced vision

Drusen

is an accumulation of cellular debris underneath the retina

Vitreous Hemorrhage

is caused by a disruption to current blood vessels or the growth of abnormal vessels

Eye Stroke

also called ischemic optic neuropathy, is a dangerous condition caused by a lack of blood flow to the optic nerve

Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

is the most common retina emergency with an incidence of 1 in 10,000 individuals per year

Melanosis

is the accumulation of brown-black pigment on the eye due to higher presence of melanin

Related Articles

Loading...
  • Eye Health & Wellness

How Long is an Eye Exam?

7 min read

Eye exams are an important part of your overall health, and we’ll cover how long an eye exam is so you can fit it in your schedule.
Heather Cottrell

Heather Cottrell

  • Eye Health & Wellness

Why Does My Eye Feel Sore? Understanding the Causes and Remedies

7 min read

We cover the many reasons why your eye may feel sore, how to get relief, and when to see your eye doctor.
Heather Cottrell

Heather Cottrell

  • Eye Health & Wellness

Causes of Eye Discoloration in the White Part

6 min read

We cover the many causes of eye discoloration in the white part of the eye and when to see your eye doctor.
Heather Cottrell

Heather Cottrell

Logo_Corneacare_White

    • Shop
    • Wholesale
    • Education
    • Community
    • App
    • Eye Glossary
    Menu
    • Shop
    • Wholesale
    • Education
    • Community
    • App
    • Eye Glossary
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    • Education
    • Shop
    • Wholesale
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    • Education
    • Shop
    • Wholesale
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    • Education
    • Shop
    • Wholesale
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    • Education
    • Shop
    • Wholesale
    • Contact
    • Terms of service
    • Privacy policy
    • Shipping & Returns
    Instagram Facebook_Pink Youtube Twitter Tiktok
    Copyright – © 2023 CorneaCare, Inc. ⚡️ All rights reserved
    *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

    Wholesale inquiry

    Please fill out the form below, and we will be in touch shortly.

    20% OFF Personalized Eyecare
    20% OFF personalized eyecare
    Take the quiz
    20% OFF personalized, convenient and effective eyecare
    20% OFF personalized eyecare
    Take the quiz
    Take the quiz