Eye Diseases >
COLOR DEFICIENCY
General Information
Your ability to distinguish colors and/or shades is reduced. The term "color blind" is often used but is incorrect because only a very small number of people are completely unable to identify colors. One out of 12 males and only one out of 200 females are found to be color deficient.
Color deficiency has a predictable genetic pattern. Females are the genetic carriers of the color deficient gene. They received the gene from their color deficient fathers but they themselves are unaffected. The females then pass the gene to their sons. The sons are then color deficient and they in turn will pass the gene to their daughters, starting the progression all over again.
A normal eye contains thousands of color receptors called cones. These microscopic receptors transmit color information to the brain. In a color deficient eye some cones do not pick up and transmit the correct color signals to the brain. As a result, the ability to distinguish colors is diminished.
There are several types of color deficiencies but red-green deficiency is by far the most common. Persons who are color deficient are usually unaware of their condition. It is important to detect color deficiency early because color-coded learning materials are used extensively in the primary grades. Color deficiency may affect the career path of an individual, since ability to distinguish colors is important to some careers, such as pilots, electricians, decorators, artists, etc.
Unfortunately, a cure for color deficiency has not yet been discovered. A person with this condition can be taught to adapt to color deficiency. Special tinted eyeglass lenses and a "red" contact lens used in one eye can aid a person with certain color deficiencies.
Discuss color deficency problems on the optometry patient boards
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