While the complete inability to distinguish between colors is rare, it is not uncommon for some people to have trouble distinguishing between shades of colors. This problem is called color blindness, and it is much more common in men than in women. It is essentially a dysfunction within the retina, but it generally does not interfere with everyday life.

What causes color blindness?

Color vision problems are caused by a variation in the rods and cones within the eye’s retina. The types of cells that read color in the retina do not work correctly or are not present. There is no surgery or treatment option to correct color blindness. It is a life-long condition. 

What does color blindness look like?

The most common symptom of color blindness is having trouble distinguishing between shades of reds and greens. Some people with color blindness are only able to see a few shades of a certain color, while most people can see thousands of shades of that very same color.

How do you become color-blind?                 

“Color blindness is almost always genetic,” says Paul Patel, M.D., an ophthalmologist at Piedmont. “It is usually detected during a child’s routine eye exam or school screening. Although, there are some people who have it so mildly they may not realize it until a little later in life.”

Approximately 8% of males have this condition, while less than 1% of females are color-blind. The gene responsible for color blindness is carried on the X chromosome, which is why many more men are affected than women.

Are there any limitations when color-blind?

A telltale sign someone may be color-blind is if they walk out of their closet wearing mismatched clothes. Buying clothes and getting dressed may be the biggest hurdle for someone who is color-blind. Typically, this is something they learn to live with over time by picking neutral clothing, buying things in a set color palette or by having someone help them match their clothes.

Individuals often adjust to color blindness without even knowing it, simply because they do not know the world in any other way. Dr. Patel says people with color vision problems use cues like location (e.g., a stop sign) or brightness to pick up color.

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