Overview
Poor color vision is an inability to distinguish between certain shades of
color. Although most people call it colorblindness, true colorblindness
describes a 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 in dim light. Some people can't distinguish between red and
green shades even in bright light. Less commonly, people can't distinguish
between shades of blue and yellow.
Poor color vision is an inherited condition in most cases. However, eye
diseases and the effects of some medications can also cause color deficiency.
About 8 percent of men and 1 percent of women have a deficiency of color vision.
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