X-chrome Contact Lenses

X-chrome contact lenses are specialty contact lenses for those that have red/green color blindness as a vision problem. A deep red x-chrome contact lens is worn in the nondominant eye and intensifies the color of red and green objects. This allows the nondominant eye to provide information to the brain about the colors it couldn’t see before. The dominant eye will continue to send information back to the brain about what it normally sees. This lens does not cure the vision problem of color blindness; it is only an aid in the perception of colors. Some patients prefer to wear eyeglasses instead of an x-chrome contact lens. In these cases, we utilize color-view eyeglass lenses. People with certain professions cannot wear these lenses. The FAA does not allow pilots to wear the lens because it can confuse them with the lights in the cockpit. If you are colorblind, check with our office to see if you are a candidate for one of these types of corrections.