What is color deficiency?
What causes color deficiency?
What type of color deficiency exist?
How is color deficiency detected?
When should a person be tested for color deficiency?
Can color deficiency be cured?

What is color deficiency?

What causes color deficiency?

Color deficiency is usually inherited, but can also result from certain diseases, trauma or as a side effect of certain medications. It happens when the color –sensitive cone cells in the retina of your eye do not properly pick up or send to the brain correct color signals.  Back to Questions or Top of Page

What type of color deficiency exist?

There are several. Red green deficiency is by far the most common and results in the inability to distinguish between certain shades of red and green. In very rare cases, color deficiency exists to an extent that no colors can be detected. This person sees all things in shades of black, white and gray.  Back to Questions or Top of Page

How is color deficiency detected?

People who are color deficient are generally unaware of their condition. They assume that everyone sees things the way they do. As a result, a complete optometric examination , including a test for color vision, is recommended. The test for color deficiency is a relatively simple one typically involving the viewing of a series of colored designs. The designs have been created in such a way that a person with normal color vision can see certain figurines in the designs. A color deficient person will not be able to distinguish the figures.  Back to Questions or Top of Page

When should a person be tested for color deficiency?

Every child should be checked for color deficiency by at least age five. It is important to detect color deficiency early because color coded learning materials are used extensively in the primary grades. In addition, color deficiency may affect the career path of an individual , since the ability to distinguish colors is an important aspect of some jobs, such as pilots, electricians, some military personnel, police officers and others.  Back to Questions or Top of Page

Can color deficiency be cured?

Unfortunately a cure for color deficiency has not yet been discovered. A person with color deficiency can, however, be taught to adapt to the inability to distinguish colors. For example, you can be taught to recognize the brightness and location of traffic light rather than the color itself. It is also possible to increase the ability to distinguish colors with the use of special filters. A special red tinted contact lens, used in one eye, and other devices are used., in some cases , to aid persons with certain color deficiencies.  Back to Questions or Top of Page