Color Blindness (cont.)

What Causes Color Blindness?

Color blindness is a genetic condition that only rarely occurs in women, but affects 1 out of every 10 men to some degree. When someone is colorblind, it is usually because their eyes do not make all the pigments needed for color vision.

Does Color Blindness Cause Other Health Problems?

The kind of color blindness that is present at birth does not lead to additional vision loss or total blindness. But because the cone cells of the retina are also used to see fine details, people who are colorblind tend to have vision that is less sharp. The rod cells also tend to be "overloaded" by bright light, so tinted eyeglasses often help color-blind people to see better.

If you think you have a problem with color vision, you should schedule an appointment with an eye doctor right away. The doctor will be able to tell you whether you are seeing colors properly and what to do if you are not.

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute.

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Edited by Charlotte E. Grayson, MD, WebMD, October 2004.

Portions of this page © The Cleveland Clinic 2000-2004

Last Editorial Review: 6/20/2005

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