Q: What is color blindness?
The correct name for color blindness is color vision deficiency. Color vision deficiency is a term used to describe a number of different problems people have with color vision. These problems may range from a slight difficulty in telling different shades of a color apart to not being able to identify any color.
Q: Am I at risk for color vision deficiency?
It is estimated that 8% of males and less than 1% of females have color vision problems. Most color vision problems are hereditary and already present at birth. Another cause for color vision deficiency is aging. The eye's clear lens can darken and yellow over time, which can cause older adults to have problems seeing dark colors. Certain medications or eye diseases can affect color vision.
Q: Who should be tested for color vision deficiency?
Any child who is having difficulty in school should be checked for vision problems including color vision deficiency. People with a family history of color vision problems and those who are having problems seeing colors should be tested. Also, anyone who has a job that requires identifying colors correctly should be tested for color vision deficiency.
Q: What treatments are available for color vision deficiency?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for hereditary color vision deficiency. If you have color vision deficiency, it is possible for you to learn to recognize color by other means. Some people learn to tell colors apart by brightness or location. Also, there are specially tinted eyeglasses that may help you to tell certain colors apart.
