{"id":84237,"date":"2024-04-05T00:53:32","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T08:53:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/?p=84237"},"modified":"2026-10-26T06:36:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T14:36:49","slug":"different-types-color-blindness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/different-types-color-blindness\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Different Types of Color Blindness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-84319\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/color_1.jpg\" alt=\"Understanding Different Types of Color Blindness\" width=\"916\" height=\"500\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/eyeglasses-on-cards-with-color-vision-and-rorschach-tests-8204988\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" aria-label=\"Visit Photo by Pavel Danilyuk\u00a0 Page (opens in new tab)\"><strong>Photo by Pavel Danilyuk\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Color blindness affects millions of people, and it varies more than most assume. Here\u2019s how each type works, how it\u2019s diagnosed, and what can help.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What Is Color Blindness?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Color blindness, also known as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aoa.org\/healthy-eyes\/eye-and-vision-conditions\/color-vision-deficiency?sso=y\" aria-label=\"Visit color vision deficiency Page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">color vision deficiency<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is a reduced ability to distinguish certain colors. It happens in the retina, where three types of <\/span><a href=\"\/blog\/cones-and-rods-the-key-to-vision\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about cone cells\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cone cells<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> respond to red, green, and blue wavelengths. When one type is missing or doesn\u2019t function normally, your brain receives an incomplete color signal \u2014 and shades that look distinct to most people start to look alike.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Red-Green Color Blindness<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common type of color blindness is red-green color blindness, affecting approximately 8% of males and 0.5% of females of Northern European descent. This condition makes it difficult to distinguish between red and green hues. There are four subtypes of red-green color blindness:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protanomaly: In this subtype, red appears more green and less bright.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protanopia: Red appears black, with certain shades of orange, yellow, and green appearing yellow.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deuteranomaly: This is the most common form of color blindness where yellow and green appear redder, and it is difficult to tell violet from blue.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deuteranopia: Red looks brownish-yellow and green looks beige.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-84320\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/color_2.jpg\" alt=\"Understanding Different Types of Color Blindness\" width=\"916\" height=\"500\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aoa.org\/healthy-eyes\/eye-and-vision-conditions\/color-vision-deficiency?sso=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" aria-label=\"Visit Photo from American Optometric Association Page (opens in new tab)\"><strong>Photo from American Optometric Association<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Blue-Yellow Color Blindness<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blue-yellow color blindness is less common than red-green, affecting fewer than 1 in 10,000 people worldwide. People with this type of color blindness have difficulty distinguishing blue from green and yellow from violet. There are two main subtypes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tritanomaly: Those affected see blue as greener, and it can be difficult to tell yellow and red from pink.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tritanopia: Blue appears greener, and it can be challenging to tell yellow from violet.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Complete Color Blindness<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Complete color blindness, or monochromacy, is extremely rare. Individuals with this condition see no color at all \u2013 only shades of gray. This condition is further divided into two subtypes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cone Monochromacy: Two of the three cone photopigments are missing, so color vision relies on the one remaining cone type.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rod Monochromacy (Achromatopsia): Retinal cones are absent or nonfunctioning, leaving only black, white, and gray.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What Causes Color Blindness?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most color blindness is inherited. The red and green cone pigment genes sit on the X chromosome, which makes red-green color blindness X-linked recessive. Men have one X chromosome, so a single altered gene is enough; women have two, so they\u2019re affected far less often and are usually carriers. Color vision can also change later in life from aging, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, eye injury, or certain medications.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How a Color Blindness Test Works<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A color blindness test takes a few minutes during a routine eye exam.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ishihara plates: Colored dot patterns that form a number. Missing it points to a red-green deficiency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test: Arranging colored caps to measure fine color discrimination.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anomaloscope: Light-matching that pinpoints both type and severity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Online tests can hint at a problem, but screen and lighting differences make them unreliable. Have kids screened early \u2014 color blindness is easily mistaken for inattention in color-coded classrooms.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Common Myths About Color Blindness<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><b>You see in black and white.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d Most people with color blindness see color \u2014 they just confuse certain hues. Seeing no color at all is monochromacy, and it\u2019s very rare.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><b>Only men are affected.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d It\u2019s far more common in men, roughly 1 in 12 versus 1 in 200 women, but women can be color blind too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><b>Nothing can be done.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d There\u2019s no cure, but specialty color-correcting lenses, color-ID apps, and accessibility settings all help.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"\/p\/round-eyeglass-frames\/78186\/7818623\" aria-label=\"Visit round eyeglass frames 78186 7818623 page\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-84318 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/color_3.jpg\" alt=\"Understanding Different Types of Color Blindness\" width=\"916\" height=\"500\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/p\/round-eyeglass-frames\/78186\/7818623\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Visit Shop these frames\u00a0 Page (opens in new tab)\"><strong>Shop these frames\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Living With Color Blindness<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Color blindness makes color-coded charts, ripe produce, matched clothing, and some dashboard indicators harder to read. A few careers screen for color vision \u2014 commercial piloting and certain electrical and transportation roles \u2014 but most don\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specialty color-correcting glasses, sold by a handful of dedicated brands, use tinted lenses to filter specific wavelengths and increase contrast between colors that normally overlap. They help some people with mild to moderate red-green deficiency, but they don\u2019t restore normal color vision and do little for monochromacy. Try free smartphone color-ID apps and built-in accessibility filters first.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Color blindness doesn\u2019t affect how sharply you see, so most people who have it need regular prescription glasses for the same reasons everyone else does. Start with an eye exam for an accurate diagnosis, then<\/span><a href=\"\/b\/best-seller-glasses\" aria-label=\"Visit shop Zenni\u2019s best-selling glasses Page\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shop Zenni\u2019s best-selling glasses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for everyday wear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"\/b\/new-arrivals\" aria-label=\"Visit new arrivals page\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-76510 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/231215_Blog_banner_shop_all.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1950\" height=\"250\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>FAQs<\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"lightweight-accordion wp-block-lightweight-accordion-lightweight-accordion\"><details><summary class=\"lightweight-accordion-title\"><span><strong>What is the most common type of color blindness?<\/strong><\/span><\/summary><div class=\"lightweight-accordion-body\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deuteranomaly, a red-green form in which green and yellow look redder.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lightweight-accordion wp-block-lightweight-accordion-lightweight-accordion\"><details><summary class=\"lightweight-accordion-title\"><span><strong>Can color blindness be cured?<\/strong><\/span><\/summary><div class=\"lightweight-accordion-body\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. Lenses, apps, and accessibility settings can make colors easier to separate, but nothing restores normal color vision.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lightweight-accordion wp-block-lightweight-accordion-lightweight-accordion\"><details><summary class=\"lightweight-accordion-title\"><span><strong>How do I know if I\u2019m color blind?<\/strong><\/span><\/summary><div class=\"lightweight-accordion-body\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most people find out through an Ishihara plate test at an eye appointment. Online versions aren\u2019t reliable enough for diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lightweight-accordion wp-block-lightweight-accordion-lightweight-accordion\"><details><summary class=\"lightweight-accordion-title\"><span><strong>Can color blindness develop later in life?<\/strong><\/span><\/summary><div class=\"lightweight-accordion-body\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, optic nerve damage, and some medications can all change color perception in adulthood.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":84317,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[156,157,179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eye-care","category-billboard","category-frames"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/102"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84237"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84237\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98284,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84237\/revisions\/98284"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}