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Color blindness - Symptom

Alternative Names

Color deficiency; Blindness - color

Symptoms:

Symptoms vary from person to person, but may include:

Trouble seeing colors and the brightness of colors in the usual way
Inability to tell the difference between shades of the same or similar colors

Often, the symptoms may be so mild that some persons do not know they are color blind. A parent may notice signs of color blindness when a child is learning his or her colors.

Rapid, side-to-side eye movements and other symptoms may occur in severe cases.

Signs and tests:

Your doctor or eye specialist can check your color vision in several ways. Testing for color blindness is commonly done during an eye exam.

Reviewed last on: 4/13/2009
Paul B. Griggs, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Yanoff M, Duker JS, Augsburger JJ, et al. Ophthalmology. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2004:34.

Goldman L, Ausiello D. Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 22nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2004:2410.

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