Shades of Grey

Posted by: West Georgia Eye Care Center in Frontpage Article on February 20, 2015

Have you ever left the house with mismatched socks, sporting one navy and one dark shade of grey? Maybe it’s a normal case of being in a rush or needing better light or newer glasses. Or perhaps it’s something more serious.

With age, our ability to distinguish between color shades can become difficult. This is sometimes indicative of a deeper eye issue. Just as our body changes with aging, our eyes change, too. We see the wrinkles in the mirror, we feel the limitations of our muscular strength, but detecting aging eyes may be more difficult. We are most likely to notice age-related low vision by the affect it has on our everyday activities (like driving or reading). Decreased color and contrast sensitivity are common–frustrating!–visual changes that often accompany aging.

Contrast sensitivity enables us to distinguish an object as it compares to another object behind it. For example, in the photo to the left there is a white lamp on a white tablecloth in front of a white wall. The sameness of the color requires contrast ability to tell the objects apart. On the other hand, the white pillow is far clearer because of the sharp contrast to the dark headboard. Seeing an object clearly against a background of the same color becomes more difficult with age.

If you notice that you’re double-checking items in a shade of grey, you may be experiencing decreased color sensitivity. Or, if the objects in your vision seem to blend together, chameleon-like, you may be experiencing decreased contrast sensitivity. If you are suspicious of a problem with your contrast or color sensitivity, call us to schedule a comprehensive eye exam today. At West Georgia Eye Care Center, we care that you get the most out of life and enjoy your vision to the fullest!