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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Poor color vision is an inability to distinguish among certain shades of color. Although many people call it colorblindness, true colorblindness describes a total lack of color vision. The ability to see only shades of gray is rare.
Most people with poor color vision can't distinguish between certain shades of red and green. Less commonly, people with poor color vision can't distinguish between shades of blue and yellow.
Poor color vision is an inherited condition in most cases. Men are more likely to be born with poor color vision. Certain eye diseases and some medications also can cause color deficiency.
- Color vision deficiency. Genetics home reference. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=colorvisiondeficiency. Accessed Nov. 22, 2008.
- Color vision deficiency. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/x4702.xml?prt. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Gobba F. Color vision impairment in workers exposed to neurotoxic chemicals. NeuroToxicology. 2003;24:693.
- Color vision. In: Ganong WF. Review of Medical Physiology. 22nd ed. San Francisco, Calif.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2005. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=707965&searchStr=color+vision+defect. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
