How to Diagnose Color Blindness

A person with color blindness is unable to distinguish some or all of the colors visible to a person with normal color vision. Color blindness falls into three sub-categories: monochromacy (people who cannot distinguish colors, only relative brightness), dichromacy (people who have normal color vision except for confusion between two colors) and trichromacy (people who have trouble making color matches). Read on to learn how to diagnose color blindness.

Instructions

• 1

  Understand that no medical treatment exists that can cure or even moderate the degree of your color blindness, except in rare instances in which the color blindness was acquired and not genetic in origin. Computer software and special lenses and filters to assist in color differentiation are generally the only available means of controlling the condition.

• 2

  Have a regular vision test performed to see if your symptoms of color blindness may simply be a product of a correctable vision abnormality. For example, individuals with extreme sensitivity to light may also have a subtle form of color blindness that further testing can reveal.

• 3

  Take an Ishihara color test. This tests consists of a series of pictures that have images or numerals buried in a pattern of colored spots. A person with normal color vision will have no problem identifying the image contained in the spots, while a color blind person will not be able to. There are different tests available to screen for the different types of color blindness.

• 4

  Understand that the Ishihara color tests have shortcomings, which cause some ophthalmologists to prefer other tests to diagnose color blindness. Ishihara color tests require specific cultural knowledge (such as the ability to identify an Arabic numeral) that some ethnic or age groups (such as children) cannot identify. One common test used to diagnose color blindness is called the American Optical/Hardy, Rand and Ritter Pseudoisochromatic Test.

• 5

  Know that clinical tests are designed to move at a fast pace. If you want a more thorough analysis of your condition, you might consider taking part in an academic study on color blindness. Remember, though, that you should have a qualified medical doctor diagnose your color blindness so treatment possibilities can be examined.