Common Vision Conditions Affecting Children |
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A color deficiency occurs when a person's ability to distinguish certain colors and shades is less than what is expected as normal. Color deficiencies are usually hereditary, but can also result from certain diseases, trauma, or as a side effect of certain medications.
A color deficiency is caused by the sensitive cone cells of the retina not properly recognizing or sending correct color signals to the brain. There are two main types of color deficiencies. A red-green deficiency is the most common and results in the inability to distinguish certain shades of red and green. A blue-yellow deficiency is less common and results in abnormal perception of blue and yellow colors. It is very rare for an individual to have complete color blindness, however, when this occurs the person sees all things in shades of black, white, and gray. Individuals with a color deficiency are often unaware of their condition. Such conditions can be successfully diagnosed with simple color vision tests during an eye examination. Children should be checked for color deficiencies by at least age five. It is important to detect color deficiencies at an early age to avoid difficulties with color coded learning materials often used in preschool classes and elementary school. Unfortunately, there is no current cure for a color deficiency. A person with this condition must learn to adapt to the inability to distinguish colors. In some cases, colored filters can be used to help a person recognize and identify certain colors. Some signs of a color deficiency in a child may include: - Inability to recognize certain colors.
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